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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 does Caridad think she might be able to be friends with who has just moved to the Naples community?

2. Where has Kate just taken a new job in the story "North Country"?

3. What does a crazy woman eat in the story "Difficult Women"?

4. What happens with a frigid woman's mother dies in the story "Difficult Women"?

5. Who is the housekeeper who works for William Livingston?

Short Essay Questions

1. What shocking realization does the narrator come to at the end of "The Mark of Cain"?

2. How does Tricia judge the clients she cleans houses for in the story "Florida"?

3. What does Marcy like about the exercise classes in the story "Florida"?

4. Why is Alvarez hesitant to get more involved with Sarah in "La Negra Blanca," even though he adores her?

5. Why does Carolina tell Savvie she decided to marry Darryl?

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

7. Why do Savvie and Carolina not have to worry about money or finances?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story "Difficult Women," Gay outlines the characteristics of four categories of women - loose women, frigid women, crazy women, and mothers. Write an essay exploring why you think Gay included mothers as her fourth category of so-called "difficult" women, citing specific references to the text to explain your answer. If you choose, you may cite examples from other stories in the collection exploring Gay's treatment of mothers and issues surrounding motherhood to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

In the story "Water, All Its Weight," both Bianca's parents and her husband eventually abandon her because of the rot and decay that accompany her wherever she goes. Write an essay exploring how Bianca seems to handle being abandoned by the people closest to her at different stages of her life.

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