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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. Which of the prostitutes with Mr. Henry in Part III is described as “the one church women never allowed their eyes to rest on”?

2. Claudia’s mother sings a song about trains where in the beginning of Part IV?

3. How does the narrator define “colored people” in Part III?

4. What is Geraldine’s husband’s name in the novel?

5. Where does Frieda say she’s going to get potato chips while Claudia goes to buy ice cream with the money Mr. Henry gave them in Part III?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Cholly Breedlove’s childhood described in “See Father…”? Who raised Cholly?

2. Why does Frieda tell Claudia has happened with Mr. Henry in the beginning of Part IV?

3. How does the fresh cobbler come to be spilled in “Spring”? Who spills it?

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

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

6. How are Pauline Williams’s early years described in “See Mother…”?

7. To whom do Claudia and Frieda turn in order to obtain whiskey in “Spring”? Why?

8. Where do Frieda and Claudia go to find Pecola after their exchange with Maginot Line in “Spring”? How is this setting described?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the setting of the novel and examine the different aspects of this time and place in history. What was the political atmosphere in America like in 1941? When did the U.S. enter WWII? How were race relations characterized at this time? How did race relations differ in the north and south in the U.S.?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of “ugliness” in the novel. As opposed to “beauty,” how is ugliness defined by the narrator? What do you view “ugliness” as? How is ugliness portrayed by the Breedlove family?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Claudia’s hatred of baby dolls and the metaphorical meaning behind this hatred. How does Claudia explain her disdain? What does she do with the dolls she’s given? Why?

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