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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. Where does Mutt say he has a job?

2. What physical characteristic does Ursa's mother say that Ursa has in common with her father?

3. Who recognizes Ursa in the street when she goes back to her grandmother's funeral?

4. Where did May Alice say her father lived?

5. What did the old man tell the slave who was running away to rub on his feet so that the dogs couldn't track him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mutt say to Ursa at the end of the novel? What is Ursa's response?

2. When Ursa sees Jeffrene in the street, what is different about her? Where does Jeffrene work?

3. How many pregnancy scares does Mary Alice have? When she actually becomes pregnant, what does she tell Ursa?

4. Where does Ursa's mother catch her singing? What is her reaction to seeing Ursa sing?

5. After Ursa's father finds out Ursa's mother is pregnant, what does he do? What does he do after that?

6. When Ursa goes to visit Mary Alice in the hospital, what makes her uncomfortable? What makes her leave abruptly?

7. How did Corregidora feel about great-gram seeing black men? What does he say about this?

8. What was the name of Ursa's father? Where did he and Ursa's mother meet?

9. What year is it at the beginning of Chapter 4? How old is Ursa?

10. How does Ursa think telling the story of her father will help her mother? What does Ursa think about her own relationship with men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ursa is hurt both physically and emotionally in the novel. Write an essay about the role of pain and hurt in the novel, making sure to address the duality of this theme. What does Ursa learn from her pain? Cite specific examples from the text to support your responses.

Essay Topic 2

Sexuality is an important element in the novel. It defines a person both physically and emotionally. Write an essay on the role of sexuality in the novel. Cite specific examples from the text to support your responses.

Essay Topic 3

Ursa sings the blues onstage. Write an essay on the theme of self expression in the form of song in the novel. Why is Ursa only able to express herself through song? What conflicts does this lead to in her life? Cite specific examples from the text to support your responses.

(see the answer keys)

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