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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 tells Ms. Johnson she doesn't understand her heritage?
2. What does Ms. Johnson notice in the wood of the dasher?
3. How does Hakim-a-barber feel about the group of people to which Ms. Johnson asks if he belongs?
4. What does the person who wants the butter churn top slide over it as if trying to see how it will look in her own home?
5. What is the nickname of the person who whittles Ms. Johnson's churn dasher?
Short Essay Questions
1. Alice Walker never names the narrator of this story. The reader is told only that she is a member of the Johnson family. What might the author of "Everyday Use" have intended to convey about the character of Ms. Johnson by not naming her?
2. What does the way Maggie walks and carries herself indicate?
3. Describe John Thomas and his role in the story.
4. What does Ms. Johnson think Maggie believes is her "portion" in life?
5. How strong is Ms. Johnson physically and what might her physical strength indicate about her inner strength?
6. Who is the protagonist of "Everyday Use" and what identifies that character as the protagonist?
7. How did Dee react when her mother offered her a quilt before Dee left for college and what has caused her to change her opinion about having a quilt now?
8. Why doesn't Ms. Johnson have more formal education?
9. What religion is Ms. Johnson in "Everyday Use" and what does her religion indicate about her character?
10. Why are the hairstyles of Hakim-a-barber and Dee/Wangero described in such detail in the story while Maggie and Ms. Johnson's hairstyles are not described?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
"Everyday Use" was published in 1973 and the characters have lived through the growth of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Discuss how the geographical, chronological and cultural settings affect the story and how the characters and story might differ if Alice Walker had set it in the north or during the antebellum era instead. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 2
Alice Walker writes "Everyday Use" in the first person point of view. Discuss why you think the author selected the first person viewpoint. Also discuss whether or not you think first person is an effective viewpoint for this story and why or why not. Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.
Essay Topic 3
Discuss the character of Hakim-a-barber and how he illustrates Black Muslim culture in the story. What do you think Alice Walker is saying about Black Muslims through him? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.
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This section contains 1,202 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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