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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. What musician does Ernestine put on at the start of Section 2?

2. According to Tish in Section 2, when did she get pregnant?

3. What is Ernestine's job?

4. How many months pregnant is Tish is Section 2?

5. What type of alcohol does Sharon take out before she announced Tish's pregnancy?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tish describe her experience at Fonny's church in Section One?

2. In Section One, Tish says, "Being in trouble can have a funny effect on the mind" (7). What does she mean by this?

3. According to Tish in Section Two, why does Ernestine know their father better than she does?

4. How do Tish and Fonny meet in Section One?

5. How does Tish respond when Adrienne says to her, "I can't believe that you are that stupid" in Section Two?

6. How does Tish describe Fonny's pad in Section Two?

7. How does Tish describe her mother, Sharon, in Section One?

8. According to her description of it in Section One, how does Tish feel about New York City?

9. In Section One, how does Tish know that Fonny's mother and sister's do not like her?

10. How do Sharon and Joseph meet?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the role of religion in the novel. Consider which characters are religious and how this differs from spirituality in the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the role that Ernestine plays in the novel. How does she act as a protector and advocate for Tish and Fonny?

Essay Topic 3

Select and analyze the role of two different secondary characters in the novel, outside of the Hunt or River's family. How do they impact the novel? What do they help to reveal about the other characters or the larger theme?

(see the answer keys)

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