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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. Who does Gigi see at the Convent that is terribly upset?

2. Why does Seneca have difficulty sleeping at the Convent?

3. How did Connie meet the old woman she tends at the Convent?

4. What about Gigi initially shocks Mavis upon Mavis's return to the Convent?

5. What does Connie sell to earn money?

Short Essay Questions

1. When there is a problem in Ruby who handles it?

2. When Gigi accepts a ride from Roger Best, what are her plans at that time?

3. What event cuts short Mavis's reunion upon arriving back at the Convent after a month's absence?

4. Why did Deek tell Roger to make sure all part's of Deek's son's funeral were black?

5. Why do the men from Ruby go to the Convent?

6. Why was the town of Haven not as affected by the Great Depression as most of the rest of the country?

7. What means do the Morgan twins use to help their nephew out of trouble when he impregnates Arnette?

8. How do the men from Ruby justify such drastic action against the women at the Convent?

9. What is one of the things the Morgan twins probably consider when they are trying to decide what to do about Arnette's pregnancy?

10. Why is Mavis' mother less than supportive when Mavis arrives at her house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Morrison's or the narrator's use of language in the novel "Paradise". Is the language elevated to the poetic or is it the everyday language of the rural people of Ruby?

Essay Topic 2

Offer a detailed theory about the meaning of the title of the novel. On the surface, neither Ruby nor the Convent seems like a paradise. What might Morrison have intended by choosing this title?

Essay Topic 3

Generally in fiction there is a clear protagonist and a clear antagonist. Can this be said of the novel "Paradise"? If you believe the novel contains a clear protagonist and antagonist, name them and explain how they fit these roles. If you believe there are no clear protagonists or antagonists, explain how this is the case.

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This section contains 790 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample