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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. Like a typical bully, what does Mary Alice's desk mate demand from Mary Alice?

2. With whom does Mary Alice share a room?

3. After school, how does Mildred follow Mary Alice?

4. What is humorous about the answer to number 59?

5. Mary Alice figures Mildred will do what to her at school tomorrow?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Grandma trick Mildred? What does this reveal about her?

2. How does Mary Alice react to Mildred's plan for getting her dollar from Mary Alice? What does this reveal about her?

3. Why does Mary Alice move in with her grandmother? What does this reveal about the Great Depression?

4. What is burgoo stew? How might this represent life during the Great Depression?

5. What does Grandma do instead of participating in the sharpshooting competition? Why might she do this?

6. What happens to Bootsie one night? Why does this happen?

7. What is Armistice Day? What is a holiday that we have that serves a similar purpose? What is the purpose of this holiday?

8. What warning does Grandma give Mary Alice before she leaves her at school? What does this warning foreshadow?

9. Why is Mary Alice afraid at night in her room? How does she deal with this fear?

10. How can Mary Alice now find out who the pranksters were?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mary Alice is the main character.

Part 1) Describe Mary Alice. How does she change throughout the story? Why does she change? How do other characters in this story also change? What is Mary Alice's relationship with other main characters in the story?

Part 2) Mary Alice is also the narrator of the story. How does her narration affect the knowledge of the reader? How does it also influence the reader's opinion of other characters? How different might the story be if the narrator were not a character in the story? How different might the story be if Grandma was the narrator?

Part 3) What is learned about Middle America during the Great Depression through Mary Alice's eyes? Has this affected your view of life in the 1930s? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 2

Armistice Day is an important day in this town.

Part 1) What is the purpose of Armistice Day? How does this town celebrate this day? How are these celebrations important? Why is this day especially important to Grandma?

Part 2) What holidays in our own culture today serve a similar purpose? How are these holidays important? How do you celebrate these holidays? Do you believe most ways in which Americans celebrate these holidays are adequate and reflect the purpose of these holidays? Why or why not?

Part 3) How has war been a significant aspect of American culture? Why? How has war been a constant part of human interaction throughout time? What does this reveal about humans?

Essay Topic 3

After arriving in town, Mary Alice is directly taken to high school.

Part 1) Describe Mary Alice's high school experience. How does it compare to your own school experiences? How was school in the 1930s like school today? How was it different?

Part 2) How does school become an important place for Mary Alice? How is she changed by her experiences at this school? Are these changes good or bad? Why?

Part 3) How have your school experiences changed you? Do you believe attending school is an important part of one's childhood? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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