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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 is Violet committed to gaining weight?

2. What does Malvonne find behind her refrigerator?

3. What do Violet and Joe do all night the first time they meet?

4. Who does Joe pray sends him a sign as he sits in the bushes?

5. Why is Dorcas rejected by teenage boys her own age?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the story the narrator gives behind Joe's last name?

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

3. Describe the relationship between Alice Manfred and Dorcas.

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

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

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

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

8. What is the significance of Dorcas's clothespin dolls in Chapter Three?

9. In what ways does Alice try to protect Dorcas?

10. Describe the time Joe sees Dorcas for the very first time.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters of Violet and Dorcas. How are their lives different? How are the characters the same?

Essay Topic 2

How is racism explored and conveyed in Morrison's work? Why do you think Morrison writes about it in this way?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the significance of Malvonne's presence in Morrison's novel. What does the character of Malvonne add to the plot? What is the story like if Morrison does not include such an antagonist?

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