View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Shug comment on the first time she meets Celie?

2. What does Harpo blame for his strange bruises?

3. When she returns home, how many children does Sofia now have?

4. What does Celie do when she overhears Shug and Mr. having sex on the night before Shug moves out?

5. What does Shug dedicate to Celie?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sofia end up in jail?

2. How does Celie try to protect Nettie from Pa?

3. How does Harpo react to the news that Sofia’s father doesn’t think he’s good enough for her?

4. What is unique about the novel’s style, which is made apparent within the first few pages?

5. Why does Celie suddenly feel jealous of Mr. and Shug when she sees them at the juke joint?

6. How do Mr. and Celie come to be married?

7. Why does Harpo start working in the fields, and how does he feel about it?

8. What lesson does Shug teach Celie about her sexuality?

9. Why is Mr. so emotional with Shug in his house?

10. Who is Olivia and where does Celie meet her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the theme of fatherhood in the novel. Which character do you think is the best father in the novel? Why? Which character do you think is the worst? In what ways can you see parenting styles, specifically fatherhood, affecting characters as they mature into adulthood? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

What is the main difference between life in Olinka and life in America? How do the Olinka people react to the new missionaries when they arrive? How does this dynamic inform the race relations of America, where Shug and Celie are living? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

How does Celie’s life change when she moves to Memphis? How does her relationship with Shug change, and what does she realize about herself when Shug is on tour? How do the townsfolk react when Celie returns home for Sofia’s mother’s funeral? What is significant about their reaction? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 894 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample