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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. Where is Maggie employed for her first job?

2. Who says "Hully gee" several times in Chapter 5?

3. When Jimmie happens upon his furiously screaming mother, what does he tell her to do?

4. What color socks does the foreign owner of the cuff and collar factory wear?

5. What faded pattern is on the carpet of the apartment?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the fear that begins to rise in Maggie's heart as she looks at the people around her.

2. How does Mudder express her anger with Jimmie's fighting?

3. Describe Maggie's treatment of Tommie as they walk home. What does Maggie's behavior tell us about her upbringing?

4. What is the irony in the way Fader breaks up the fight between Jimmie and Blue Billie?

5. Describe the behavior of the audience during the first act of the show.

6. When the author uses the phrase "a young man of leather" to describe Jimmie, what does he mean?

7. Why does Maggie think Pete might feel contempt as he sits in the apartment?

8. Why are Maggie's spirits so lifted by the plays she and Pete attend?

9. What is Jimmie's attitude toward well-dressed men?

10. What is Maggie's impression of Pete as she listens to his tales?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Both police and firefighters are in positions of authority, but Jimmie has very different emotions and reactions toward these two groups. Compare and contrast Jimmie's hostility towards police and his admiration for fire engines.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the effectiveness of the book in each of the following areas:

A) Overall theme.

B) Characterization.

C) Plot.

D) Use of literary devices (symbolism, metaphor, etc.).

Essay Topic 3

After a particularly combative day, Mudder and Jimmie have a brawl in the apartment in Chapter 9. At the end of this fight, Pete arrives to take Maggie out for the evening. There is a moment of decision as Maggie surveys the chaos and listens to Mudder's curses. Finally, Maggie decides to leave with Pete. Evaluate this decision based on at least two of the following factors:

A) The significance of the decision.

B) The ways Pete, Mudder, and Jimmie affect the decision.

C) The motives behind the decision.

D) The effects of the decision.

(see the answer keys)

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