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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. Miah feels that, although his father loves him, what does he love more?

2. Why does Ellie finally call her mother, "Ma"?

3. There is no reason for what kind of love, according to Anne?

4. As Ellie and Miah huddle together outside the library, who gives them a strange look?

5. How does Miah know that Ellie wants to go home and not go to his mother's for dinner in Chapter 20?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ellie feel when she finds Jeremiah in the hallway?

2. On the drive to East Hampton, what does Miah's father have to say about white people?

3. Why does Marion think Ellie skipped class?

4. What realization does Miah come to regarding his father, when he enters his father's home in this section (Chapters 11-15)?

5. How does Ellie react to her mother's conversation with her sister Susan?

6. What upsets Ellie as she and Miah huddle outside the library?

7. How does Miah find his father, when he enters the living room?

8. Why had Miah not told Ellie about his famous parents earlier in their relationship?

9. How does Miah suggest he and Ellie deal with the negative attitudes of others towards them?

10. What leads to Ellie and Miah cutting class and heading to Central Park?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Jeremiah die? How is this relevant to today? Could his death have been prevented? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Early in the story Miah says he does not fit in, as he is Black but worldly. How does the story reveal that Miah’s father is in much the same way an outsider? What other characters do not fit the typical mold? How does this affect them? How do they deal with this? What is the author’s purpose for creating these unique characters?

Essay Topic 3

Frequently the author mentions rain or sun. What is the connection between the weather and the main characters and events in If You Come Softly? Why might the author have decided to create this relationship? How does noting the weather influence the tone of the book? How does this affect the reader?

(see the answer keys)

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