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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the physical manifestation of Cousin Lymon's outcast status?

2. What eventually happens to Amelia's cafe?

3. What does the man who comes to Amelia's house tell her?

4. How does Amelia spend the rest of her life?

5. What does the author call a meeting of men on Amelia's porch?

Short Essay Questions

1. What becomes of Amelia after Cousin Lymon and Marvin wreck her cafe and then leave town?

2. What does Martin Meadows find when he arrives at his home early one Friday afternoon?

3. How do Amelia and Marvin prepare for their big fight?

4. How does John connect with his ex-wife, Elizabeth, while in New York?

5. Why has Frances begun to dread her piano lessons even though she is technically very competent?

6. How does the relationship between Amelia and Lymon compare to the one between Amelia and Marvin?

7. What is the result of the one-sided relationship between Amelia and Cousin Lymon?

8. Describe John's visit to Elizabeth's home.

9. What is the setting for "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe?"

10. Explain the old man's "a tree, a rock, a cloud" system of learning to love.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Select three characters from any of the stories and project into the future ten years and write a brief synopsis for their lives. Be sure to include emotional states as well as physical characteristics, geographic locations, work, hobbies, and socialization.

Essay Topic 2

The frustration of unfulfilled affection touches several characters in the story. Name at least two characters who experience unfulfilled love and the situations that occur as a result.

Essay Topic 3

Create a brief character study of Cousin Lymon. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him, if anything, at this point in her life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,043 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample