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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 Ellen consider killing?

2. What make-up item does Ellen contemplate wearing to her mother's funeral?

3. What errand does Ellen enjoy partaking in with her new mama?

4. What does Ellen think her father is?

5. Who does Ellen blame for her mother's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the fact that Ellen is concerned with snakes in her new life hint at how she feels about the members of her family?

2. In what ways does the author indicate that Ellen's father killed Ellen's mother?

3. How does Ellen's grandmother cause a scene at the funeral?

4. In what ways has Ellen's mother's family shown that they do not care if Ellen is being neglected?

5. In what way does Ellen use reading?

6. Why does Ellen feel that she is better off being a ward of the county rather than being in the custody of her father?

7. What event leads to Ellen's removal from her father's care?

8. How is Ellen's grandmother's removal of Ellen's mother's clothes symbolic to the story?

9. What are some of the fun and leisure activities Ellen is granted in her new home?

10. Why does Ellen have conflicting views about Starletta's family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In class discussion, you learned about the literary elements of a climax. Using these discussions and the text, describe the climax in the story.

Essay Topic 2

What are some of the symbolic elements the author uses in the story? Use class discussion and the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

In several instances in the text, Ellen tries to control the small things around her. Why does Ellen need to control these things?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 560 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample