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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. By what name did the Nickel Boys call the Nickel Academy's "official cemetery" (3)?

2. Within what room at Nickel did Elwood intervene in a fight, earning him a trip to the White House?

3. How old was Elwood when both of his parents "took off" (27) and left him in the care of his grandmother Harriet?

4. How many desks had been squeezed into Elwood and Desmond's homeroom at Nickel?

5. Which character was NOT a part of the group of the three most fearsome boys at Nickel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Elwood's family, as it is presented in Chapters 1 through 3.

2. What happened to prevent Elwood from attending his first class at Marvin Griggs Technical?

3. What was ironic about Harriet's punishment of Elwood upon learning that he had participated in a protest?

4. What does the industrial fan within Chapter 6 symbolize and with what theme does Whitehead connect the fan?

5. Who was Mr. Hill?

6. What disappointing news did Blakely reveal to Elwood about educational opportunities at Nickel?

7. What Christmas present did Elwood receive in 1962 that the narrator described as "the best gift of his life" (11)?

8. In what way did the grounds of Nickel surprise Elwood upon his arrival and what is this detail's significance?

9. What examples does the narrator use to back up the claim that Harriet was rarely able to "make proper goodbyes to her loved ones" (70)?

10. How many boys were incarcerated at Nickel at the time of Elwood's arrival and in what way was the campus divided into two?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of The Nickel Boys and one of the novel's main messages. How does Whitehead make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one main message of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

What message does Whitehead send within the pages of The Nickel Boys concerning the link between oppression and brutality?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how and why Whitehead instills three different humanist messages into the narrative of The Nickel Boys.

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