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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. For what occasion is Ms. Johnson going to give the quilts to the person to whom she has promised them?

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

3. Who makes the sounds in the kitchen?

4. Who whittles Ms. Johnson's butter churn dasher?

5. What has Ms. Johnson done to her yard at the beginning of the story?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which character in "Everyday Use" is a foil character and what helps identify that character as a foil character?

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

3. What is the history behind Dee's birth name?

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

5. How does Dee differ from her mother and sister?

6. What is revealed about Aunt Dicie/Big Dee in "Everyday Use" even though she doesn't appear onstage?

7. Why does Dee include the house in every picture she takes with her camera if she dislikes the house?

8. Is there any significance to the fact that neither Ms. Johnson's marital state nor Dee's are revealed in "Everyday Use?"

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss symbolism and metaphor in "Everyday Use." Give three examples of symbolism in the story and discuss what the symbols are used to convey.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the characters of Maggie, Dee/Wangero, and Mrs. Johnson in "Everyday Use." Which sister do you think is most like their mother and why? Which character or characters do you think represent southern Black culture? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Ms. Johnson's dream about appearing on the Johnny Carson show with Dee. What significance do you think this dream has to the story? What does the dream reveal about Ms. Johnson's relationship with her daughter? What does the dream reveal about Ms. Johnson's feelings about herself versus how she wishes she was? What do you think Alice Walker is trying to say through this dream? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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