View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Ernestine not want to go to the movies with Gerte?

2. On what setting does Act One, Scene 5, open?

3. What does Gerte offer Ernestine in Act One, Scene 6?

4. Who does Ernestine say would not like Godfrey and Gerte’s marriage?

5. What does Lily indirectly ask Gerte to say in Act Two, Scene 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Lily handle the flooding in the yard alone?

2. What comparisons does Ernestine make between the food and religious belief?

3. Why does Godfrey say he needs Father Divine?

4. How does Gerte respond when Ermina asks her if she was a Nazi?

5. What does Gerte say and do that indicates her naïveté about America?

6. What does Lily not like about Ernestine applying lace to her graduation dress?

7. How did Gerte’s upbringing affect her views on race?

8. What are Lily and Gerte’s differing views on race?

9. How does Ernestine describe the Crump family’s routine?

10. What are Lily’s views on race and fashion?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Race is brought to the forefront when the father of a Black family brings home a white woman as his new wife. Write an essay examining the role that race plays in the play.

Essay Topic 2

One of the central characters, Lily, overtly expresses a political affiliation with the Communist Party, influencing at least one of her nieces, much to her father’s chagrin. Write an essay examining the role that politics plays in the play.

Essay Topic 3

One of the central characters, Godfrey, turns to fanatical religious belief during his period of mourning the loss of his wife, influencing the members of his family with his newfound religious fervor. Write an essay examining the role that faith and spirituality play in the play.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 785 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample