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. Who is Mudder trying to start a fight with after she enters the tenement building?

2. What is Mudder's real name?

3. What does Mudder do to Jimmie in Chapter 2 that makes him scream in pain?

4. What is Pete's occupation?

5. Who does Jimmie storm at, denounce, and compare to pestering flies in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Maggie's reaction to the show? Give specific examples of her behavior.

2. Why does Jimmie have such great respect for fire engines?

3. Why are Maggie's spirits so lifted by the plays she and Pete attend?

4. Why does Maggie refuse Pete's request for a kiss? Explain your answer.

5. Does Mudder enjoy her perceived win in the fight with Fader? Explain your answer.

6. Why do Jimmie and Blue Billie fight in Chapter 1?

7. Describe Maggie's treatment of Tommie as they walk home. What does Maggie's behavior tell us about her upbringing?

8. When Maggie comes out of the room after Jimmie's fight with Mudder, what does she see?

9. What is the significance of Maggie choosing to go out with Pete at the end of Chapter 9?

10. How does Mudder's behavior on Friday foreshadow the coming path of Maggie's life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the book, Maggie is rejected by friends and strangers alike. Select three of the following characters and discuss in detail the ways and reasons they rejected Maggie:

A) Mudder.

B) Jimmie.

C) Pete.

D) The Rum Alley neighbors.

E) The stout, well-dressed gentleman in Chapter 16.

F) The tall young man with a cigarette in Chapter 17.

Essay Topic 2

Maggie is ultimately responsible for her decisions and the path of her life, but several other characters play a role in Maggie's development. Identify at least three characters that have an impact on Maggie's life and analyze their level of responsibility for Maggie's tragic end.

Essay Topic 3

The poverty and chaos of the Rum Alley tenement unite its residents. Discuss in detail at least three examples or Rum Alley unity, including the circumstances of the unity, the motive behind the unity, and the purpose the unity serves to accomplish.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 883 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample