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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 Pa say about Celie that convinces Mr. to marry her?

2. What is the name of Sofia’s youngest daughter?

3. What does the term “bright” mean to Harpo?

4. What does Harpo blame for his strange bruises?

5. Why won’t the women at church help Shug when they hear she is ill?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Squeak tries to convince the warden to let Sofia out of jail early?

2. Who is Olivia and where does Celie meet her?

3. Why does Sofia decide to leave Harpo, and how does he react to the news?

4. Why does Celie have trouble sleeping when she thinks about Harpo and Sofia’s relationship?

5. How does Celie come to own her very first dress, and what does it look like?

6. How does Celie try to protect Nettie from Pa?

7. What brings on Celie’s terrible beating from Pa after church?

8. What lesson does Shug teach Celie about her sexuality?

9. Why is Mr. so emotional with Shug in his house?

10. Why does Celie suddenly feel jealous of Mr. and Shug when she sees them at the juke joint?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is sewing a symbol for in the novel? Why is it significant that Celie and Sofia sew a quilt together after Shug moves in? What does the diversity of a patchwork quilt suggest about the relationships in the novel, particularly the female relationships? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Growing up, both Shug and Celie were told that they would amount to nothing: Celie was told she was ugly and Shug was told she was evil. How do you see these messages affecting the two women as they matured into adulthood? How did these messages ultimately bring the two women together? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

How is God represented in the novel? Why is it significant that Celie writes letters to him, and then abruptly stops? How are Celie and Shug’s views of God different? How do their views ultimately relate back to the novel’s title? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 944 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample