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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who else did Daisy visit on the same day that she visited Dave Carter?

2. Which would Daisy rather be, a lark flying or a dove setting?

3. What order does Joe Clarke give to the people at the trial before they leave the church?

4. What does Dave Carter say he got enough of on Saturday night (the night of the fight)?

5. Why does Dave Carter insist that no one in town has any right to determine Jim Weston's punishment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Money plays an important role in the relationships of the characters in the play. See how many times money is mentioned in references to romantic relationships. What does this suggest about the people involved in these relationships and their partners? Why does money seem to play such an important role? Be sure to include specific examples from the text to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Aside from the satire and the description of small-town life, "Mule Bone" is also a play about the strength of a friendship. Analyze the strength of Jim's and Dave's friendship. What challenges does their friendship survive, and what allows their friendship to survive these challenges? Provide evidence from the text to support your observations.

Essay Topic 3

Hughes and Hurston wrote "Mule Bone" as a homage to the use of humor in overcoming adversity. Oppressed cultures often rely on humor as a means of survival, and among Southern post-slavery African-Americans, humor and sarcasm were a means of attacking others and of expressing affection. Describe how this concept emerges in "Mule Bone." In what ways does humor strengthen bonds, and in what ways is it used to attack others? Provide specific examples from the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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