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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. How does Betsy Ann's father deal with the dead pigeons?

2. What color are the pigeons Betsy Ann receives from Miles?

3. How does Betsy Ann's father get to work in the morning?

4. What does Cassandra call Rhonda Ferguson's father?

5. What is the only reason Cassandra does not think it would be fair to shoot the fathers of Joyce's and Pearl's babies?

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss Caesar's feelings for Carol.

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

3. Describe the relationship between Robert and Clara in "The Girl Who Raised Pigeons."

4. How do Caesar and Carol steal from their mark?

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

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

7. What do the pigeons symbolize?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

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

In the background of each of the stories in the collection, the framework of the government and legal structure appears to hinder or support the characters. Selecting at least 2 or 3 of the stories in the collection, analyze Jones' commentary regarding the success or failure of the U.S. government to provide for the people of this community. Does Jones seem to think that the government has failed its people? Or, that it does a good job protecting their rights? Or, is his commentary perhaps more nuanced? Provide details from the text to support your argument.

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