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. About how many hours straight does Roy describe spending with Davina after he went to her home for dinner the first time in Part Two: "Prepare a Table for Me"?

2. Who arrives to wait for Roy when he is released from prison?

3. How much money does Roy say he spent in prison for a pear once in Part Two: "Prepare a Table for Me"?

4. What does Roy describe collecting between the ages of eight and twelve?

5. What happened when Celestial saw a burglar robbing her apartment in Brooklyn when she first met Roy in New York?

Short Essay Questions

1. What advice does Walter give to Roy before his release?

2. How do Big Roy and Roy "trick" Andre in Part Two: "Prepare a Table for Me"?

3. What does the pear represent in the novel?

4. How does Roy describe his first experience in Brooklyn with Celestial?

5. Why did Olive and Big Roy never have more children?

6. What does Andre learn upon arriving at Big Roy's house? How does he respond to this news?

7. How has Big Roy changed when he picks up Roy from prison?

8. What does Roy note about the first page of his family's Bible?

9. What do condoms represent symbolically in the novel?

10. What is Davina's home like? What does she cook Roy for dinner?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the symbolism of Old Hickey in the novel. What does the tree represent to Celestial? What does it represent to Andre? Why does Roy attempt to destroy the tree?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of fatherhood in An American Marriage. How does the author develop this theme through character? How is the theme developed through symbolism and setting? What does fatherhood mean to the characters in this novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the narrative style of An American Marriage. Who are the narrators of this novel? Why is it important that these characters narrate the story? How would this story differ if it had been related from the perspective of a non-involved, third-person narrator?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 818 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample