View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Cassandra ask Joyce Moses?

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

3. Which church does the protagonist's mother attend in "The First Day"?

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

5. In "Young Lions", what is the first thing Caesar eats/drinks from the refrigerator?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Cassandra respond to the fight she has with her brother-in-law?

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

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

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

6. In "The First Day", why does the protagonist's mother have her heart set on taking her to a particular school?

7. What does Betsy Ann do to lose her father's trust? Why does he become so angry?

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

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

10. In "The First Day", why does the little girl at Walker-Jones Elementary look at the protagonist's mother as though she is "diseased"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the way in which race emerges as a theme in the stories. Although the book is comprised of a majority of black characters, Jones still approaches and interrogates notions of race in the United States. Using evidence from at least four stories, discuss the way in which Jones treats the topic of race. Why does he choose to focus entirely on African-American characters? How do these characters perceive their own racial identity and place with the society of the United States? Is this perception influenced by generation or class?

Essay Topic 2

Crime is a central theme in many of the stories in this collection. Explore Jones' commentary on the type(s), severity, and impact of crime on the African-American community in Washington, D.C. What is the central message regarding crime? How does Jones convey this message in the stories in the collection? Are the stories effective in carrying this message to the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the role of community in the stories throughout this collection. How do people form community in Jones' work? What do their communities mean in their daily lives? What is Jones' commentary about the significance of community and social interaction?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 998 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample