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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. In the second summer, how long ago did Jerry get into big trouble?

2. What does Sissie do on the island in the second summer?

3. What do the children begin throwing at the stuck bird?

4. The reader can determine that the narrator has matured by the second summer after studying which of the following?

5. How does Sissie describe her mother in the first summer detailed?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Sissie get angry when she sees the mysterious man at the bar as an adult?

2. In what way does the diction change between the first summer and second summer?

3. How does the writer make the summer season very apparent in the text in Part 2?

4. Is Sissie an innocent character in the beginning of the story? Why or why not?

5. Why does Sissie feel uneasy in the boat with her father?

6. In what way does Sissie compare herself to her mother? How does she think they are different?

7. Describe Sissie's physical retreat in Part 3.

8. How does Sissie's mother's appearance make her angry?

9. Describe the family dynamic in Sissie's household.

10. At the end of the book, what does Sissie believe about her mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do social issues play a role in "Four Summers"? Consider the hierarchy of women. Also, consider the roles of class and race.

Essay Topic 2

In what way is loss of innocence a theme in the story? What causes Sissie to lose her innocence? How does she lose innocence progressively in each section of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Sissie's development as a character. Describe her starting position in comparison to her ending position. How does she change physically? How do her emotions and beliefs change? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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