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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. Which of the following images is NOT on the willow plate?

2. What is Janey's father's first name?

3. Why is Mom worried about Janey?

4. How much does Janey's father earn per hour?

5. What is Lupe's last name?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Bounce Reyburn and how do the Larkins encounter him?

2. What does Mom say at the riverbank that surprises Janey for its poetry?

3. What exhibits do Janey and Lupe look at at the fair and why does Lupe reason that Janey wants to stay by herself in the library booth?

4. How old is Janey Larkin and what is she doing as the novel begins?

5. Why are the Larkins living the way they are now in California?

6. Where is Janey invited to go with the Romeros?

7. What is Bounce's role on the ranch and what authority does he say he has regarding rent?

8. What has Janey always longed to do in a permanent place?

9. What is the significance of the nickel in terms of how Mom feels for Janey's good fortune?

10. Why is the nickel such a big thing for Mom to give to Janey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the greatest lesson Janey learns from her mother? Is it true that important lessons are also painful ones? What will Janey always recall about her mother from their experiences in California during the Great Depression?

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of Mrs. Larkin. What did she look like? What were her positive personality traits? What were her dreams and fears? What was most valuable to her in her world?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of women in America during the Great Depression. What precedents do these women feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have? How were their lives significantly more difficult than the lives of 21st century women?

(see the answer keys)

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