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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 did Jacob do when he found Isaac hungry and drity and Rachel in the middle of the floor drunk?

2. What did Black's father do for a living?

3. When did the American government start the Tuskegee syphilis experiment?

4. How old was Isaac when he had a crying jag and nothing would calm him?

5. How old was Isaac when Jacob started forcing boy things upon him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What book did Rachel read that changed her and what did Jacob think of the book?

2. When and how did Jacob and Rachel meet?

3. How was Jacob brought up by his grandparents?

4. How does Jacob describe the poverty he experienced as a child?

5. What was the house like that Jacob bought when he married Rachel?

6. When did Jacob's grandmother die, and how did life go on?

7. In 1974, why did Jacob throw away Isaac's action figurines?

8. How did Rachel's crushed dream to go to college affect her marriage to Jacob?

9. How does Jacob remember winning a game for his team during a playground game?

10. How and when did Esau die?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rachel began to drink excessively. Why did Rachel begin drinking excessively?

Essay Topic 2

Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that are used to make comparisons between things. Metaphors seem to imply an equal comparison, while similes seem to imply a similarity between two things. Does Black use more metaphors or similes in the novel? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers comprehend concepts? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers make the writing more interesting?

Essay Topic 3

Jacob and Rachel drifted apart. Why did their marriage end in divorce?

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