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 did Mary feel nudged her awake?

2. Why do the Slatters maintain their interest in the Turners?

3. What season does Mary feel is sent for her personally?

4. Where has Mary never gone?

5. What does Mary do in front of Moses?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mary's condition change?

2. What does Dick suggest Mary to do feel better? How does Mary react?

3. How, and why, does Moses seek revenge on Mary? What other motives might he have for killing Mary?

4. How does Mary feel about the doctor's advise? How much does the doctor charge for his services?

5. Describe the compound where the workers and their families live.

6. How does Mary show weakness?

7. What is the first law of white South Africa?

8. Describe Mary's mood and state of mind as she awakes.

9. Why does Mary refuse to help Dick with the farm after he is well?

10. How does Mary feel about how she arrives at her fate?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay describing the way Mary relates to other characters in the novel and how these interactions illustrate her character. Be sure to address:

1) How Mary relates to friends and the role she plays in a friendship.

2) How Mary relates to her husband.

3) How Mary relates to the servants and black people in general.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that describes the parenting done by characters in the novel and how it influences them and other characters. Examples include Mary's bad parents damaging her ability to relate to others, or Charlie Slatter's jealousy towards the privileges of his children.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the role of nature in THE GRASS IS SINGING, describing several scenes from the novel where nature plays a key role and addressing the relationship that two or more characters have with the natural world around them.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 950 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample