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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 color is the fabric Shug donates to the quilt Celie and Sofia are working on?

2. Why doesn’t Pa want Nettie to marry Mr.?

3. Who does Celie suggest Harpo hire to help at the new bar?

4. How long does Mr. leave Celie alone when Shug comes to town?

5. What is Celie’s nickname for Henry Broadnax?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Harpo and Sofia see each other for the first time at the juke joint?

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

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

4. How does Mr. react when Nettie comes to live with him, and why does she end up leaving?

5. What is unique about the novel’s style, which is made apparent within the first few pages?

6. How does Harpo react to the news that Sofia’s father doesn’t think he’s good enough for her?

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

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

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

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

What is the main difference between life in Olinka and life in America? How do the Olinka people react to the new missionaries when they arrive? How does this dynamic inform the race relations of America, where Shug and Celie are living? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Celie’s sexuality. How was she first introduced to sex, and how did that introduction affect her future relationships? What did Shug teach Celie about her sexuality, and how did this lesson change Celie for the rest of the novel? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 934 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample