View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 9 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Seraphina suspect about her nannies?

2. In what way does Seraphina feel her children are like their father?

3. What type of baby does Hadley choose to borrow?

4. What does Hadley think about doing with the baby after she takes her from the library?

5. How do the women who visit Hadley feel about their lot as unlicensed women?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who comes to Hadley's apartment after she arrives with Gemma and where are they from?

2. How does Seraphina feel about her life as a mother?

3. Why do the women who come to Hadley's apartment say they think she is one of them?

4. How does Seraphina discover her nannies are gone and how does she react?

5. How does borrowing a baby make Hadley feel about her lot in life?

6. Why does Hadley consider running away with Gemma when she takes her from the library?

7. Describe Hadley's experience at the library when she looks for a baby to borrow.

8. What does one of the woman who comes to Hadley's apartment say to Hadley when she says that borrowing a baby is not a crime?

9. How does Paul behave around Seraphina?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing each of the primary female characters in "Graceful Burdens." How are they connected? How are they different? What experiences do they share and what experiences are unique to their lives?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay exploring the themes of freedom and control in "Graceful Burdens." What images, objects, actions, or symbols represent these themes? Use strong textual evidence to support your exploration.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Roxane Gay's language style and word choice in "Graceful Burdens." What are some words that stand out to you and why? What words are repeated? What words are most impactful? Explain your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 654 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample