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. What has The Misfit forgotten?

2. Where does Grandmother fall to when the car turns over?

3. What year was the story first published?

4. What does Grandmother say when The Misfit apologizes for not wearing a shirt?

5. What does the Misfit ask Mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What importance does Baby have on the story?

2. Why do you think children make the Misfit nervous?

3. What does the story about the melon say about Grandmother's character?

4. What is the significance of Grandmother wanting to paint the black child she sees sitting on the porch?

5. Why is Grandmother so delighted that the Misfit suddenly shows an interest in Jesus?

6. How would you describe the characteristics of the Grandmother?

7. Why were the fifties such an important transitional period?

8. How does O'Connor express the generation gap between Grandmother and the rest of the family?

9. Describe Bailey's relationship with his mother?

10. Why do you think the Misfit does not kill Grandmother until the end?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Grandmother and her son Bailey share a difficult relationship. How does O'Connor express their relationship. What do you think is the history between the two characters? Do you think Grandmother expresses true sorrow at her son's death?

Essay Topic 2

O'Connor does not give either the mother or Grandmother real names. What is the reason O'Connor does not give them names? Why do you think only the female characters do not have names?

Essay Topic 3

Imagine you were faced with a serial killer. How would you react? Where do you think Bailey and his family went wrong?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 783 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample