3. 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"?

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

5. Who said "Black love is Black wealth" (135)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Celestial mean when she says that "Much of life is timing and circumstance" (138)?

2. How do Celestial and Roy's lives go on, as revealed in the Epilogue?

3. What does the pear represent in the novel?

4. Who is Tamar and what advice does she give to Roy?

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

6. What does Roy's missing tooth represent symbolically in the novel?

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

8. What does Celestial describe praying for in Part Two: "Prepare a Table for Me"?

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

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

Analyze and discuss the character or Andre in An American Marriage. For how long has Andre known Celestial and Roy? Where did Andre study and what does he do? What characteristics set Andre apart in this novel?

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 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?

(see the answer keys)

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