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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. What is the title of Part 3 of Brown Girl Dreaming?

2. Where was the "New Girl" Diana from?

3. How old was Roman when he finally returned from the hospital in "One Place"?

4. Who ran the Nursery and Day School that Jackie and her siblings attended while in Greenville?

5. How does Roman's appearance differ from those of his siblings?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author compare her family members in "Genetics"?

2. Who is described as sporting afros in the poem "Afros"? Why was Jackie not allowed to wear this hairstyle?

3. How does the poet describe her learning methods in "Writing #2"?

4. What does the poet describe thinking about as she eats breakfast in "Saturday Morning"?

5. How does the author describe her family's reaction in "When I Tell My Family"? What does Jackie describe telling them?

6. What made Jacqueline Woodson relate to the character of Stevie, as seen in "Stevie and Me"? Who is Stevie?

7. What is described in the poem "Six Minutes"? What do the "six minutes" in the title refer to?

8. Who attended church in Brooklyn with Jackie when she was growing up? How is the church described in the poem "Another Kingdom Hall"?

9. Why does Jacqueline Woodson say she wrote "Jackie" on the board in school in the poem "Late Autumn"?

10. Who is described in "New Girl"? How does the poet describe her feelings for this individual?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the significance of the names in Jackie’s family as demonstrated in “Family Names.” Why did Gunnar’s family have unusual names? How did Grandma Georgiana’s family differ? What is the significance of Jackie's name and those of her siblings?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the imagery and symbolism in the final poems of Part 1. Why did Jackie and her family travel at night on the bus from South Carolina to Ohio? How does the author describe the river they follow on their journey? What do you think the river represents symbolically? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss some of the writers, poets, and activists that have influenced author Jacqueline Woodson. How are these figures described in the poetry of Brown Girl Dreaming?

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