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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. Who is described as "a light-skinned, straight-nosed, and polite senior beauty queen" in Darlene's sorority?

2. Who smacks Eddie on the behind when he asks why his father has not been invited to the party in Chapter 5: “Show Us the Planets”?

3. What is the name of Darlene's roommate in college?

4. Who is the woman that tries to sell Darlene on going to work on a farm in Chapter 4: "We Named the Goat"?

5. Who hands out the workers' pay in Chapter 9: “An Improvement”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What encounter is described between Eddie and Nacho Vasquez in Chapter 6: “Your Own Cord”?

2. What are Eddie's circumstances as he drives the Subaru in the Prologue: "Little Muddy"?

3. How does the narrator describe the journey in the minivan when Darlene went to Delicious Foods?

4. From what narrative perspective is Chapter 1: “Braindancing” related?

5. What is revealed about Tuck's past in Chapter 12: “Obeah Juju”?

6. What do Darlene's yellow shoes come to represent symbolically to her?

7. How is Eddie's life in Houston described in Chapter 2: “Blackbirds”?

8. How is Darlene's behavior after Nat's death described in Chapter 8: “Driftwood”?

9. Where does Tuck say Darlene had gone when speaking to Eddie in Chapter 10: “Drunken Bum Knows”?

10. Where does Darlene encounter Jackie? How does Jackie convince Darlene to get in the minivan?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the motif of "hoodoo" or superstitions in the novel. What are some examples of characters believing in superstitions? How does superstition guide these characters' actions?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the narrative style of Delicious Foods. How does the narrative style transition between each chapter? Why does it transition? How does the author indicate who narrates each chapter?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the character of Darlene in Delicious Foods. What is revealed of Darlene's past through exposition? When did Darlene have Eddie? What happened to Darlene's husband?

(see the answer keys)

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