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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 does Mildred notice as she speaks to the woman?

2. In "The Store", where is the protagonist when he realizes he has left some of his personal belongings at the job he just quit?

3. On what day does Lydia's mother die?

4. In "The Sunday Following Mother's Day", how old was Madeleine Walters when her father killed her mother?

5. What toy does Madeleine bring with her as Maddie drags the children out of the house?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain why the judge tells Samuel Williams Sr.'s lawyer that he cannot defend a man who will not defend himself.

2. In "An Orange Line Train to Ballston", describe the opening of the story.

3. Discuss Lydia's desire to get "lost in the city" in order to deal with her grief at her mother's death.

4. How does Samuel Jr. react when he learns that his sister has kept contact with their father over the years?

5. Why does Marvella keep her children at the school in Northwest?

6. In "The Store", why does Kentucky criticize the protagonist?

7. How does the protagonist of "The Store" garner promotion within the store?

8. Discuss Lydia's mother's reaction to the first boy she brings home.

9. Why does Santiago's grandmother ban him from her house?

10. Explain how Santiago makes money.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the way in which Jones portrays poverty in this book. Through a close examination of at least three characters in the book, discuss Jones' approach to the sensitive topic of poverty in the African-American community. Are these characters defined by their socio-economic status? How does he treat characters who live in poverty? Does their economic standing seem a reflection of their own actions or of a flawed system?

Essay Topic 2

Explore the role of geography, space, and place in two or more of the stories in Jones' collection. How does Jones capture, explore, and comment on the urban environment of Washington, D.C.? How does Jones enlarge conventional notions of the nation's capitol city? In what ways do the depictions of the city in these stories interact with or build upon on another? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

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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