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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. Who understands, like Joe, what it feels like to feel nothing inside?

2. How does Violet decide to get back at Joe?

3. Why do the Miller sisters call the police station repeatedly?

4. Who does Dorcas cry for during her mother's funeral?

5. What does Violet's father bring the children when he visits?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter Two, what does Joe tell Dorcas that he never tells Violet?

2. Describe Joe's recollection of the train ride to Maryland in Chapter Two.

3. Why is Violet known as "Violent" Trace in town?

4. In Chapter Five, how does the author describe Harlem in the springtime?

5. Describe the different things Joe and Violet see in the picture of Dorcas.

6. How does the narrator describe Harlem of the 1920s in Chapter One?

7. Briefly describe the nature of Joe and Dorcas's relationship as described in Chapter Two.

8. How does the narrator describe the way Joe and Violet meet in Chapter Four?

9. Why do Joe and Violet fall into such deep debt in Chapter Five?

10. In Chapter Five, what does Joe think of when he imagines Dorcas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The title of the work is "Jazz." Why does Morrison choose such a title for this book? What is the significance of jazz music in this novel?

Essay Topic 2

How do you describe the development of the relationship between Alice and Violet? Why do you think Violet is so determined to befriend Alice? What benefits do both women derive from the relationship?

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Joe and Violet move from the country to the city? What reasons does Joe give for the move? Do you think these reasons are accurate? Why or why not?

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This section contains 550 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample