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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 color are the protagonist's socks in "The First Day"?

2. When does "The Night Rhonda Ferguson Was Killed" take place?

3. Who had told Caesar that dreams were a good sign for a conman?

4. What does the protagonist of "The First Day" notice as her mother walks away?

5. What experience has taught Cassandra that asking questions can be dangerous?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the final interaction between Caesar and Carol.

2. Discuss the girls' encounter with Pearl and Joyce. What unconventional decision have they made?

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

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

5. Describe the environment in which Betsy Ann grows up.

6. How does the protagonist's mother feel about leaving her child at the school in "The First Day"?

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

8. How does Robert respond to his daughter's desire to raise pigeons of her own?

9. How does the protagonist of "The First Day" describe the woman who greets her at Seaton Elementary?

10. How does Rhonda Ferguson's father treat Cassandra?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the significance of education in two or more of the stories in this collection. How does education play a role in these stories? What is Jones' commentary regarding education itself and the role education plays in this particular community? Provide details from the stories to support your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Religion emerges as a significant theme throughout the collection as Jones presents a nuanced approach to this central element of the African-American community. Discuss Jones' commentary on the institution of religion in the community he describes. How does Jones comment on the influence of religion in the African-American community? Is it a purely spiritual institution in the community? Or, does the church also serve a social purpose in the community?

Essay Topic 3

In the study of urban life, the theme of containment--of limited possibility for inner city people--comes to the forefront. Discuss the notion of containment or mobility in this collection of short stories. Do the characters seem confined, restrained, or inescapably bound to their circumstances in the city? Or, are they free to move in and out of the physical and social spaces provided for them within the city? How does Jones create this sense of freedom or restriction? And, what commentary does he provide on this condition?

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