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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. During the winter, what does Ms. Johnson wear to bed?

2. What does Maggie wear for Dee's arrival in "Everyday Use"?

3. How does Ms. Johnson describe the man who emerges from the car with Dee?

4. Which Johnson family women quilts the quilt tops that Grandma Dee pieces?

5. For what does Ms. Johnson lose her taste as a result of what happens to her in 1949?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why doesn't Dee like the house in which her family lives?

2. What is the significance of the title of "Everyday Use?"

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

4. What does Hakim-a-barber's car indicate about his character and Dee's?

5. What other folk art is mentioned in "Everyday Use" besides quilting?

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

7. Describe Dee's relationship with Jimmy T and what it indicates about her.

8. Why does Ms. Johnson's clean her yard prior to Dee's visit at the beginning of Alice Walker's "Everyday Use?"

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Grandma Dee, Aunt Dicie or Big Dee, Grandpa Jarrell, Great-Grandpa Ezra and John Thomas are mentioned in "Everyday Use" but never appear on stage. Discuss these minor characters from the story and how the author uses them to illustrate her themes of family and community. Are there any other themes you think the author uses the characters to convey? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the use of color in the story. Select at least three examples from the following list and discuss what they mean and how the author uses them to convey a theme or depict a character: Dee's white heels, Dee's yellow organdy dress, Dee's green suit, Dee's yellow and orange dress, Dee's gold earrings and bracelets, or Maggie's pink skirt and red blouse.

Essay Topic 3

The Johnson family's quilts are a recurring motif throughout "Everyday Use." Cite three examples from the text of the use of this motif and discuss what you think it represents in each example.

(see the answer keys)

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