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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. As a child, what did Mikey want to be when he grew up?

2. How does Mikey feel before he begins to read his mother's diary?

3. Where does Mikey hide his mother's diary?

4. What is the name of Lydia's sister?

5. Where was Mikey's sister sent to live?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kate think about when she pulls away from Mikey's house, after he asks her to gather papers on Du Boise?

2. What two revelations does Lydia make when the letter arrives to her from Martha in Toronto.

3. How did Mikey come to contact his sister after she was sent away?

4. How does Lydia react to the news that Mikey has not come to visit with her at the hospital?

5. What is Mikey's reaction to reading that he is the product of a rape in his mother's diary?

6. What happened at a dinner party, which outraged Lydia so much that she never wanted Kate near Mikey again?

7. What is the truth behind Mikey's parentage?

8. Why does Lydia have to stay as long as she does in the hospital, and how does she pass her days there?

9. Why does Mikey travel to Shirley Graham's home and what is her reaction to hosting him?

10. How does Silas react to the news that Du Boise is back in town?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel "Bitter Fruit" is set in post-apartheid South Africa. Even though the apartheid is no longer happening, the residual effects of this ethnic segregation are still very present in the lives of the Ali family. Briefly explain how the apartheid affected the Ali family directly, and give two examples of the residual effects of segregation that continue to affect all the black Africans living in South Africa.

Essay Topic 2

Mikey is arguably the character that undergoes the greatest transformation in this novel. Describe Mikey's character at the beginning of the novel and compare/contrast that to his character at the end of the novel. What are the most important transformations Mikey undergoes both physically and emotionally in the text?

Essay Topic 3

In their friendship, Vinu's story of abuse greatly affected Mikey's psyche. Describe the abuse that Vinu endured as a child, and explain why this story has such a profound effect on Mikey's character. Then, explain how Mikey uses Vinu's story as practice for changing his own personal legacy, and the legacy of his mother.

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