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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. 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?

2. Why do the Johnsons have dining benches instead of dining chairs?

3. When Ms. Johnson offers Dee a quilt in the past, what is Dee's reaction?

4. How did Ms. Johnson used to think Dee felt about Maggie?

5. Which Johnson family member possesses the most self confidence?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What kind of life has Ms. Johnson lived?

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

5. What does Maggie wear for Dee's visit and what does her outfit illustrate about her character?

6. What is Maggie's relationship with Dee like?

7. In what era is "Everyday Use" set and how does this time period affect the story?

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

9. What is Aunt Dicie/Big Dee's role in "Everyday Use?"

10. What is the significance of Dee's always wanting to read to people in her youth?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ms. Johnson is the narrator of "Everyday Use." Do you think she is the most appropriate narrator for this story? Why or why not? Discuss her effectiveness as narrator and how the story would change if Dee or Maggie narrated it instead. Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

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

Maggie and Dee have very different ideas of what their family heritage is. Compare and contrast how each sister defines heritage and the role Grandma Dee's quilts and the family butter churn and other heirlooms play in their concepts of heritage. Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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