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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. What type of job does Manny offer to Caesar to tide him over until he succeeds with his heist?

2. What does Caesar do to convince Carol that he has read her note?

3. In "The Night Rhonda Ferguson Was Killed", what is Cassandra eating at the beginning of the story?

4. Which elementary school does the protagonist's mother want her to attend in "The First Day"?

5. Where did Caesar first see the mentally handicapped woman?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the final interaction between Caesar and Carol.

2. Describe the character of Cassandra G. Lewis in "The Night Rhonda Ferguson Was Killed".

3. In "The First Day", how well prepared is the protagonist's mother to enroll her child in school?

4. Describe the conversation between the girls about the effect Rhonda's fame will have on her.

5. Describe the conditions in which Betsy Ann's cousin Ralph grows up.

6. Describe Robert's reaction to becoming a widower and single father in "The Girl Who Raised Pigeons."

7. What do the pigeons symbolize?

8. Why does the protagonist's mother slap her across the mouth in "The First Day"?

9. How does Cassandra respond to teachers' attempts to set her straight?

10. Describe the errand Gladys' mother pays Cassandra to run.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the form of the work as a whole. How and why does Jones join these fourteen stories together in this collection? What common themes, motifs, and images run throughout the collection? Are these stylistic choices effective in accomplishing the goal of the work as a whole? How do the stories interact or speak to each other? Provide evidence from the text to support your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Jones' commentary on the Social Security system in "Marie." How does his creation of the character Marie and his account of her troubles comment on the state of Social Security in the nation? Which details of Marie's story most strongly support Jones'scommentary? Why does he craft Marie the way he does? What is he saying about the way the country treats the elderly?

Essay Topic 3

Examine Jones' exploration of family and family structures throughout this collection. What models of family does Jones provide in the work? How do the various models compare to one another? Are they divergent in significant ways? Do they all contribute to a common conception of family? Do Jones' families behave in conventional or expected ways? Provide examples from at least four families in the text.

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