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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 was Brenda's boyfriend's demeanor in their relationship?

2. Who beat Diane often as a child?

3. Who molested Barbara when she was a girl?

4. What was Bonnie's faith when she arrived in prison?

5. What did Diane's father steal from the family he had abandoned?

Short Essay Questions

1. How difficult was it for Bonnie to stay true to her religious practices while in prison?

2. Who was Shirley Shambly in Michelle Jessamy's story and why did Shirley's daughter, Mo'Shay resent her mother?

3. What is the significance of the chapter, "Dancing in Leg Chains"?

4. Who was Manny and what negative impact did he have on Brenda's life?

5. Who was Reese and how did he enter Mo'Shay's life?

6. Who were Barbara Parsons Lane's first visitors while in prison, and what did she consider to be the worst part of her incarceration?

7. How did Diane Bartholomew describe her very difficult childhood?

8. How did Bonnie's role at the prison change from when she was a new inmate to the present day?

9. What was the one constant that Robin noted occurred on each of the three Christmases she spent in prison?

10. When did Brenda Medina realize what her mother's terrible secret was?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the impact of intolerance or injustice that some of the women of color experienced. What did it mean to be poor and not white in 20th century America? What stigmas did these women of color live with for their entire lives? Was there anything that could have leveled the racial discrimination playing field? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

The women's stories contain more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters in the stories who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Some of the women masterfully wove dramatic devices into their stories. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

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This section contains 1,083 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample