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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 position does Lonney's father hold?

2. What color car does Penny drive?

3. What was Angie holding in her hand at the time of her death?

4. What is the name of the judge who sentences Samuel Sr.?

5. Where did Lydia send her mother as 65th birthday present?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why was the protagonist of "The Store" initially hesitant to respond to the ad in the paper?

3. How does Mansfield's mistress talk to Lydia about her husband?

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

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

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

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

8. Discuss the significance of the title of "His Mother's House".

9. How do the Gospelteers respond to the fire at the church?

10. Explain how Santiago makes money.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the role of history in this collection of stories. On the micro level, how does personal history appear in the stories individually or as a group? On the macro level, how does national history influence the stories in the collection? Is history an inescapable force that determines all possibilities in the stories? Or, is it something that may be overcome? In your analysis, address one story in depth or discuss the overarching themes of history which connect several stories in the collection.

Essay Topic 2

Religion emerges as a significant theme throughout the collection as Jones presents a nuanced approach to this central element of the African-American community. Discuss Jones' commentary on the institution of religion in the community he describes. How does Jones comment on the influence of religion in the African-American community? Is it a purely spiritual institution in the community? Or, does the church also serve a social purpose in the community?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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