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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. How many years have passed since the opening of Amelia's cafe?

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

3. How does Cousin Lymon try to make Marvin laugh?

4. What did critics say about Frances' performance of the piece in #83?

5. Who was Miss Amelia's husband?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why could Martin's children not eat the meal their mother had prepared for them earlier?

2. Why is Bitsy so bitter about his situation regarding his life compared to the lives of the rich men at the table?

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

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

5. What is the nature of the altercation between Martin and his wife, Emily?

6. What is Leo's role in the story?

7. What literary technique does McCullers use in mentioning Amelia's brief marriage to Marvin Macy?

8. What unusual event occurs on Marvin and Amelia's wedding night and how does Marvin try to salvage the situation?

9. How does Cousin Lymon ultimately betray Amelia?

10. What does the old man tell the boy about the woman he had been married to?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Carson McCullers is famous for her use of shocking situations for her characters. Select three situations from any of the stories and explain why they fit into this classification.

Essay Topic 2

"Ballad of the Sad Cafe" is a classic story of love and betrayal. What does that classification entail? Why does this story fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall settings for the stories. Why does the author use the settings she does? What is the time period of the stories? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,093 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample