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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. In what season of the year does Marvin return to town?

2. Who has Marvin's brother brought with him to Amelia's cafe?

3. In this story, McCullers intimates that a certain level of _____________ is part of life.

4. What does Frances do when Mr. Bilderbach wants her to play?

5. Why can Lymon get away with so many things with Amelia?

Short Essay Questions

1. With whom does Frances share the title of "wunderkind" and why does she think she cannot live up to the name?

2. How does Lymon try to ingratiate himself to Marvin?

3. What does Mister Bilderbach try to get Frances to play in her lesson to get her enthused again?

4. What does Martin reason is the cause of Emily's alcoholism?

5. What is the main theme in this story?

6. Who is Cousin Lymon and how does he enter Amelia's life?

7. How do Bitsy's advancing years and his friend's accident force him to face the reality of his life?

8. What information does the author provide about events leading up to Miss Amelia's ten-day marriage?

9. Does Frances know why her piano playing has become lifeless?

10. What details does McCullers provide which would serve to especially infuriate Bitsy about the men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Prejudice and discrimination against people unlike you is a common thread in McCullers' stories. Cite two examples in this book and explain what you think McCullers was trying to say in each.

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

Explain the significance of the book's title. What did the author mean by calling the THE BALLAD OF THE SAD CAFE? Cite an example to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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