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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. Why doesn't Violet sleep at night?

2. What does Violet wear that makes her look crazy?

3. Why does Joe begin to feel distanced from Violet?

4. What does Violet envision Joe giving Dorcas?

5. What does Violet see in Dorcas's picture?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe the first time Joe officially meets Dorcas.

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

4. In Chapter Two, recount the surprise that Malvonne finds behind her refrigerator and her response to it.

5. In Chapter Four, how does the narrator describe the way Violet feels after she attacks Dorcas's body?

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

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

8. How does the narrator describe the scene in which Violet attacks Dorcas's body?

9. Describe the series of thoughts in Joe's mind the night he shoots Dorcas in Chapter Five.

10. Describe the relationship between Alice Manfred and Dorcas.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Violet decide she never wants to have children? What impact does this have on her marriage? How does her desire to have children change throughout the book and why?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Briefly summarize the incident when Malvonne finds the mail behind the refrigerator. What does she do in response? Why does she spend time doing these sorts of things, and what irony do you find in the events?

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