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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. Robert comes home from school one day with ______________.

2. Which of the following do Beth and Cindy NOT discuss?

3. What was Cindy's reason for getting married?

4. What does Robert reveal to Beth for the first time?

5. What does Beth give Mike for a Christmas gift?

Short Essay Questions

1. When does Frannie realize that she needs to enlist Patty Bancroft's help to escape from Bobby?

2. Why does Beth resist Patty Bancroft's recent recommendations for her and Robert's safety?

3. Why does Beth not panic when she learns that Robert has called his father after the bullying incident?

4. How does a bullying episode at school make Robert think about his father?

5. What does Beth reveal to Cindy about why she finally decided to leave Bobby?

6. What are the personal motivations that cause both Cindy and Beth to make the life decisons that they have?

7. What prevents Beth from becoming too intimate with Mike?

8. Why is Beth alarmed by a noise when Robert has a sleepover?

9. What does Beth wonder about the real reason she has left Bobby?

10. What is the first slip that Beth makes in possibly revealing her former identity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Bobby and Mike. Both men want influence over Beth but have their hold on her in very different ways. Why are their differences classic examples of conflict in drama? What other similarities and dissimilarities are there between the two characters?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the role of the family in BLACK AND BLUE. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the concept of family evolve in Beth and Robert's situation as they find other people who fill the typical family roles?

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two other examples you can identify in the novel and note why they are examples of irony.

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