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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 put Sherman in the hospital?

2. In "The First Day", what does the protagonist do as an "old, old game" between her and her mother?

3. Where does Cassandra drive Gladys Harper?

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

5. Where do Cassandra's sister and brother-in-law live?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Discuss Caesar's feelings for Carol.

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

5. What is the central difference between Caesar and Sherman?

6. How does Cassandra response to Roger's attempt to rape Melanie?

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

8. How does Caesar con Carol into participating in his plot to rob the disabled woman?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Relationships between women are central to many of the stories in this collection. Select three stories from the collection and discuss the way in which women form community amongst themselves. How does Jones portray the bonds between women in these stories? Are they mutually supportive? Antagonistic? Do these relationships fill any particular needs for the women who form them?

Essay Topic 3

Explore the role and characterization of the police officers in the work. How do the police interact with the characters in Jones' stories? Is the relationship between the characters and the police officers antagonistic? Respectful? What might Jones be saying about the treatment this community receives from its police officers in this collection?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 947 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample