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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. By what name does Roy refer to his father?

2. What is Celestial's middle name?

3. In what year does Uncle Banks say he and Celestial's father came to Atlanta?

4. What is the name of the hotel where Roy and Celestial stayed when visiting his parents on Labor Day weekend?

5. Who stands up to Celestial's father at the Thanksgiving table?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mr. Davenport respond when Andre announces his engagement to Celestial?

2. How does Andre justify his relationship with Celestial in his first monologue in Part Two: "Prepare a Table for Me"?

3. What is the inciting event in An American Marriage?

4. How does Roy describe Celestial's art? What does she create?

5. How does Roy respond to Celestial's "Dear John" letter?

6. How does Celestial respond to Andre's proposal?

7. What does Celestial reveal about her departure from Howard University via letter in Part One: "Bridge Music"?

8. How is Olive's illness and death described?

9. Where did Roy study? What career does he set out on after college?

10. What is revealed to the reader through the epistolary form in Part One: "Bridge Music"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the concepts of race and gender in An American Marriage. What similarities are seen in the women in this novel? What differences are seen? What is the importance of race in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the epistolary style employed in An American Marriage. Why does the author switch from direct-address narrative to letters? What information does the reader learn from these letters? How do the use of letters help illustrate the characters' circumstances?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the legal aspects of An American Marriage. Under what circumstances is Roy found guilty? What evidence is presented at Roy's trial? How does Roy go about winning his appeal?

(see the answer keys)

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