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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. At the beginning of "Everyday Use," what kind of tree does Ms. Johnson say she likes to sit outside and look up into while enjoying the breeze?
(a) A sycamore tree.
(b) An elm tree.
(c) A pine tree.
(d) A maple tree.

2. After whom does Ms. Johnson name Dee?
(a) A cousin.
(b) Aunt Dicie, Ms. Johnson's sister and Dee's aunt.
(c) An old neighbor.
(d) A good friend.

3. How many rooms does the Johnsons' current house have?
(a) Two.
(b) Eight.
(c) Five.
(d) Three.

4. What is the relationship of the person who whittles Ms. Johnson's butter churn dash to Aunt Dicie/Big Dee?
(a) He was her father.
(b) He was her first husband.
(c) He was her grandfather.
(d) He was her uncle.

5. Which character in "Everyday Use" refuses to eat collard greens and considers pork unclean?
(a) Wangero.
(b) Grandma Dee.
(c) Hakim-a-barber.
(d) Maggie.

Short Answer Questions

1. At the end of the story, what quilts does Ms. Johnson tell Dee to take back to the city with her?

2. What does Ms. Johnson remember from the tragedy that befell her home ten to twelve years earlier?

3. What is the relationship of the person who whittles Ms. Johnson's butter churn top to Aunt Dicie/Big Dee?

4. In what point of view is "Everyday Use" told?

5. What is the nickname of the person who whittles Ms. Johnson's churn dasher?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," who is the antagonist of the story and what identifies that character as the antagonist?

2. What happens when Dee tries to share her educational knowledge with her mother and sister?

3. What do the Johnson family heirlooms like the butter churn and patchwork quilts indicate about the Johnson family and about southern Black culture?

4. To whom is Dee referring when she says "It's really a new day for us" at the end of the story?

5. Although the exact setting of "Everyday Use" is never specified, what clues in the text indicate where the story takes place?

6. Which Johnson sister knows how to quilt and what does her ability illustrate about her character?

7. What level of education does Dee have and how does it differ from the educational levels of her mother and sister?

8. What does the way Maggie walks and carries herself indicate?

9. What is Ms. Johnson's relationship with her daughter Maggie like?

10. Explain how Ms. Johnson looks in real life and how her actual appearance differs from how she appears in her dreams.

(see the answer keys)

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