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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. The narrator says in Part IV, “But to find out the truth about how dreams die, one should never take the word” of whom?

2. Where did Pauline Williams’s family move after World War I for the mines and millwork?

3. What does the narrator say Aunt Jimmy died of in Part IV?

4. Who came running out with his gun during the conflict with Mr. Henry in Part IV?

5. Where did Cholly’s mother abandon him when he was four days old?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mrs. Breedlove respond when she finds the spilled cobbler in “Spring”?

2. What leads to Claudia and Frieda buying snacks at Miss Bertha’s in Part III?

3. What are Pauline Breedlove’s feelings about motherhood, according to the narrator in “See Mother…”?

4. What are the perceptions of Claudia and Frieda as they wait to leave with Pecola from her mother’s workplace in “Spring”?

5. How does the narrator describe the blooming flowers and twigs in the opening of “Spring”?

6. What happens when Frieda, Claudia, and Maureen Peal encounter some schoolboys taunting Pecola in “Winter”?

7. What does Mr. Henry tell Claudia and Frieda about his unexpected guests in Part III? What do the girls do?

8. What misunderstanding at the ice cream parlor contributes to the growing tension between Claudia and Maureen in “Winter”?

9. What does Frieda say is the real reason she is crying when Claudia finds her in bed after Mr. Henry’s been kicked out in Part IV?

10. How is Maureen Peal described when she is first introduced in “Winter”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the feelings of guilt and shame that Frieda experiences after her encounter with Mr. Henry. Do you think that Frieda’s parents, friends, or other adults could have made it easier for Frieda by telling her that it wasn’t her fault? Why do you believe the adults did not do this?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the style, tone, and language used in the opening “Dick and Jane” story. How does the story change in each of the retellings? What is symbolic about the changes in the story’s language and style? Do you think the author intends for the reader to examine race as an undercurrent in the story? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

In Part I, the narrator claims, “There is really nothing more to say--except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.” What do you think the differences are between “why” and “how” in literature and in life? Do you think that the narrator effectively answers these questions in the narrative?

(see the answer keys)

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