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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. In "Lost in the City", what time is it when the telephone rings in Lydia Walsh's house?

2. Why does Humphrey show up at the new house?

3. How does the protagonist of "The Store" respond to the police officer who confronts him about jay-walking?

4. In "The Store", how long had the protagonist been out of work before he responded to the ad in the newspaper?

5. What does Marcus call the dreadlock man?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In "The Store", how does the protagonist begin his employment at the grocery store?

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

4. In "A Butterfly on F Street", describe Mildred's mental state.

5. Describe Lydia's lifestyle in "Lost in the City".

6. Discuss the infighting that occurs amongst the Gospelteers.

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

8. What does the protagonist of "The Store" do when Penny decides to sell the store?

9. Explain how Santiago makes money.

10. Describe the woman Mildred's husband had an affair with.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the collection, Jones presents a fairly nuanced portrayal of gender roles in the African-American community of Washington, D.C. Select at least 3 short stories from the collection and discuss the ways in which the characters in these stories respond to the roles imposed on them based on their gender. Do these characters conform or rebel? What do we learn about them based on their compliance or defiance? What might Jones' message regarding gender roles be?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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