View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does the man who emerges from the car with Dee wear his hair?

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

3. What looks like a mule tail to Ms. Johnson when she sees Dee's male companion?

4. Who whittles Ms. Johnson's churn top?

5. Which of the following characters are mentioned in "Everyday Use" but do not actually appear on stage?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What references to racial prejudice are there in "Everyday Use?"

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

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

5. Why doesn't Ms. Johnson have more formal education?

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

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

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

9. What information is revealed about Grandma Dee in "Everyday Use" even though she never appears onstage?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The predominant characters in "Everyday Use" are women. Male characters have minor roles and only one male character, Hakim-a-barber, actually appears on stage in the story. Discuss the role of male characters in the story and what you think the author is saying about Black culture by having female characters dominate her story. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," the character of Dee is romantically involved with Johnny T and later with Hakim-a-barber. Compare and contrast Dee's relationship with Johnny T and her relationship with Hakim-a-barber. Which one seems more harmonious and why? What does each relationship reveal about Dee at the stage in her life when she was involved with each man? Does Dee demonstrate any character growth from one relationship to the other? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,397 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample