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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 does Mr. encourage Harpo to keep his wife in line?

2. How do Celie’s sisters-in-law feel about her housekeeping skills?

3. Why do Harlo’s kids love Squeak?

4. What makes Shug feel well enough to move out of Mr.’s house?

5. How does Mr. react when Nettie moves into his house?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Harpo start working in the fields, and how does he feel about it?

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

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

4. How many children does Celie give birth to, and what happens to them?

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

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

7. What changes about Harpo’s life after Sofia leaves him?

8. How does Harpo’s juke joint fare when it first opens?

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

10. How do Carrie and Kate react when they meet Celie for the first time?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the role of women, specifically black women, in the novel. What is the expected role that these women will take on? Are there any characters that fight against this expectation? If not, why? If so, what happens to them? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the revelation that Pa is not Celie’s true father. How does this realization change her life, and how does she feel about herself when the truth is revealed. How did Celie’s birth parents die, and how might her life have been different had she grown up with them rather than with Pa? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the theme of fatherhood in the novel. Which character do you think is the best father in the novel? Why? Which character do you think is the worst? In what ways can you see parenting styles, specifically fatherhood, affecting characters as they mature into adulthood? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 924 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample