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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. On what street near Marcus Garvey Park is Miss Wendy English described in “Words and Music”?

2. At what fast food restaurant is Abe Lincoln described eating in “Words and Music”?

3. What is the girl doing in the description from "Multiple Points of View" in "Parents' Morning Epiphany"?

4. What does Donovan tell his mother Cassie does all the time on her weekends in the end of "Just Right"?

5. Where was Donovan born and raised?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the characters in “Words and Music.” How are they similar and different?

2. How is the motif of music demonstrated in “Words and Music”?

3. What does the couple do when they retire to their room in "The Lazy River"? Why is this important?

4. What is the central theme of “Miss Adele Amidst the Corsets”? How does the author illustrate this theme?

5. Describe the narrative style in “Parents' Morning Epiphany.” What makes this narrative style stand out from the other stories?

6. What national trial is described in "Downtown"? Why do you think the author alludes to this trial?

7. Describe the central metaphor in “The Lazy River.” What does it represent and why?

8. Describe the setting of "The Dialectic." How is the setting important to the story?

9. What is the importance of Cassie's character in “Just Right”?

10. How is Donovan's character presented in “Just Right”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the author's use of allegory and parable in Grand Union. What stories in the anthology are allegories? What stories are parables? What moral lessons are related in these tales? Why does the author choose this style?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character of the Usurper in "The Canker." Who is this person in the story? Who is alluded to by the author from real life? What impacts does the Usurper have on the villagers?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of race, racism, and gender expectations in the stories in Grand Union. Which stories focus on these themes primarily? How are the themes developed through setting? How are they developed through character and action?

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