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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 Lydia ask of the nurse who calls to inform her of her mother's death?

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. How many husbands has Jesse Mae had?

4. What position does Lonney's father hold?

5. Which odd behavior does Marvella's younger son Marcus exhibit?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. Describe the first job the protagonist has in "The Store".

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Relationships between women are central to many of the stories in this collection. Select three stories from the collection and discuss the way in which women form community amongst themselves. How does Jones portray the bonds between women in these stories? Are they mutually supportive? Antagonistic? Do these relationships fill any particular needs for the women who form them?

Essay Topic 2

In the study of urban life, the theme of containment--of limited possibility for inner city people--comes to the forefront. Discuss the notion of containment or mobility in this collection of short stories. Do the characters seem confined, restrained, or inescapably bound to their circumstances in the city? Or, are they free to move in and out of the physical and social spaces provided for them within the city? How does Jones create this sense of freedom or restriction? And, what commentary does he provide on this condition?

Essay Topic 3

Selecting at least 3 stories, discuss the way in which Jones comments on marriage in this collection. Is his outlook on marriage positive or negative? Is it perhaps more nuanced than that? What factors does he explore in the marital relationship? How do these various factors explain the success or failure of the marriages in the stories? How do these stories work to form a broader commentary on marriage in American society?

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