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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 kind of car does William Livingston III drive?

2. Who does a frigid woman surround herself with in the story "Difficult Women"?

3. What does a frigid woman wear in the story "Difficult Women"?

4. What is Bianca drawn to on the playground on her first date with her husband?

5. What is one part of her new community that Marcy enjoys participating in?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sal do to Caridad in the story "Florida" that upsets and offends Caridad?

2. What is the real reason that Carolina insists Savvie accompany her to find Darryl in Reno?

3. Why does Sarah, who goes by Sierra at work, perform at a strip club?

4. Why is the ceiling at Bianca's office moldy and rotted in "Water, All Its Weight"?

5. Why does the narrator in "The Mark of Cain" decide not to let on that she knows her husband switches places with his twin?

6. In the story "Difficult Women," what is it about death that makes girls more interesting?

7. What traumatic event did Kate experience with her long-term partner before meeting Magnus?

8. What do all the women in the narrator's and Tate's "fight club" seem to get out of the experience in "Baby Arm"?

9. Why does Bianca agree to go out with Dean and initially start a relationship with him?

10. Why does the young, working-class couple watch reality television in the story "Florida"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the tone Gay strikes in the story "I am a Knife." In this story, the narrator has suffered the traumatic loss of a baby and is later called upon to help save her twin sister's baby during childbirth, and there is a moment when it is unclear whether the narrator is worthy of the trust her twin sister places in her as the narrator holds her life in her hands. Cite specific references to the text in explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing the metaphors Gay uses in the story "The Sacrifice of Darkness" to explain the desperation and subjugation of the working classes. Cite specific references from the text in your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring how Gay uses the idea of bone density in the story "Bone Density" both literally and figuratively to highlight the divisions and discord between the narrator and her husband, citing specific references to the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 840 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample