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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. Why is Silla not happy about Deighton's good news?

2. Where does Silla get a new job in Book 3?

3. In Book 1, Chapter 3, why does the other man think that Deighton will not make money at his latest venture?

4. What does Selina find out when she returns home that Monday evening after her father has cashed the check from the land sale?

5. What does Selina think that her mother wishes that she were?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Deighton's actions support Silla's annoyances with him?

2. Deighton starts to believe in a cult-like religion. Which cult-like religion is it?

3. Why do you think that Deighton is seeking out a mistress?

4. What wish does Selina make on her 15th birthday; and why does she regret it?

5. How do Selina's daydreams about Barbados differ from her mother's memories?

6. In Book 2, Beryl and Selina have a conversation about babies being born. Why do they not know the facts of life?

7. How does Deighton respond to the racism that he encounters while applying for accounting jobs?

8. In Book 1, why does Selina not want to wear the second-hand clothes that Silla has brought home?

9. How are Silla and Miss Thompson alike?

10. In Book 2, Beryl thinks that babies just pop out easily. What misinformation does she have about menstruation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Literary critics and scholars differ in their views of whether an author's own life should be considered in the study of a piece of literature. What are your views on this question given what you know about Paule Marshall's life and the story she depicts in Brown Girl, Brownstones? Do you think that her own life is relevant? Or not? Can the book be appreciated for its own merits even if you are not familiar with any aspect of the author's life? Does knowing something about her life increase your understanding of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Marriage was considered to be one of the few options for a young woman in the early 20th Century. Look at each moment in the novel when marriage is mentioned, or when a wedding takes place. Describe the connotations about marriage. What kind of viewpoints does Selina develop about marriage based on each of those situations?

Essay Topic 3

How does the Greek myth of Iphigenia relate to this novel? What does Selina think about her future that is similar to that of Iphigenia? Does Selina's future turn out like that of Iphigenia; or does it turn out in a different way? Why does the author include that reference?

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