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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 does James say he and his siblings are confused by?

2. What does James say the preacher at church dots his sermons with?

3. What is the name of the boy Ruth meets in this chapter?

4. What color does the boy in Sunday School say Jesus should be?

5. Where was James' mother raised?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way was church always a joyous affair for both James and his mother?

2. What does Ruth say about her parents' marriage in Chapter 3?

3. What happens to James when his mother forgets to pick him up from kindergarten?

4. Describe James' brother, Dennis.

5. What is the state of black people's lives in the 1930s?

6. What incident confirms to James that the color of his mother's skin puts her in danger?

7. How does Ruth's friend, Frances, support her?

8. Describe Sam's life.

9. Describe what happens when Ruth asks James to take the milk back to the shop.

10. Describe Ruth's parents.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Ruth treat her past with such disregard? How has Ruth's view of the past affected James and his siblings? How has Ruth harmed herself by disregarding her past?

Essay Topic 2

Examine McBride's writing style. How would you describe his prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does McBride's style give to his story?

Essay Topic 3

Why do the students think it is important for James to find out about his mother's past? How has his mother hiding her past affected him?

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