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. From whom does Smith say she learned the art of mothering?

2. What is Smith exiting when approached by an unfamiliar woman in “An Elder at the 98 Bus Stop”?

3. Where does Barbara eat her croissant despite it being a place designated for other business?

4. Where are Smith and husband planing to fly to as soon as they are able in “A Character in a Wheelchair in the Vestibule”?

5. What “undeserved” thing does Smith say certain titles give to a crime?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Smith rarely get manicures and never get pedicures?

2. How does Smith describe the way enslavers looked upon the Blacks they kidnapped and brought over on slave ships 400 years ago?

3. What is Smith’s relationship like with Ben, her masseuse?

4. What does Smith thank Carol for in “Intimations: Debts and Lessons”?

5. Why does Smith say, despite her issues with institutions, that she is glad Cy is connected to one?

6. How does Smith know the woman at the bus stop who approaches her must have known her from long ago?

7. Who is Beck from “A Woman with A Little Dog”?

8. What does Smith admit is different between how public school closings impact Ben versus how they impact her family?

9. How does Smith describe Cy at the beginning of “A Hovering Young Man”?

10. What does Smith find interesting about the way in which the man with the sign projects his hate?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the symbolic significance of Barbara in “A Woman with a Little Dog.” What does she represent? What is Smith’s narrative tone in regards to Barbara?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay exploring theme of privilege in Smith’s essay, “Suffering Like Mel Gibson.”

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Smith’s relationship with Ben in “A Man with Strong Hands.” Include the role privilege plays in this essay.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 631 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample