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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 Truman feel he has done by marrying Lynne?

2. From what state do three Civil Rights workers disappear?

3. How old is Meridian when she has her child?

4. What is Meridian's father doing when she visits him?

5. Where does Meridian visit her father in "Indians and Ecstasy?"

Short Essay Questions

1. What vow did Meridian not know if she could keep as part of a revolutionary group in college?

2. How does Meridian try to affect change without resorting to violence?

3. Why does Truman go to Meridian while still being married to Lynne?

4. What is the meaning of Meridian's burying the gold under a magnolia tree as a child?

5. Describe the setting of "Free at Last."

6. What is the symbolism of the new branch growing from The Sojourner?

7. How is Meridian different from her mother?

8. What is the story of The Sojourner magnolia tree?

9. What is an important theme of the story introduced in the first section?

10. What is Lynne's view of black people?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Meridian and Lynne. Why is Truman attracted to both women? Why did he choose Lynne to become his wife? What qualities about Lynne are undesirable for him?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the symbolism of The Sojourner magnolia tree. What does it represent to the young women on campus? Why do they destroy it when their rights are denied? What is the significance of the new limb sprouting on the tree at the end of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Walker is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

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