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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 Jimmie believe fine clothing represents?

2. What body part of Jimmie's opponent does Jimmie's father injure?

3. When they attend the show in Chapter 7, where do Pete and Maggie sit?

4. After the brutal fight between Mudder and Fader in Chapter 3, how long do Jimmie and Maggie huddle in the corner of the apartment?

5. What is Pete's occupation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the irony in the way Fader breaks up the fight between Jimmie and Blue Billie?

2. Describe Pete's appearance as he sits in the apartment with Maggie and Jimmie in Chapter 5.

3. Describe the behavior of the audience during the first act of the show.

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

5. Does Jimmie seem more afraid of his mother or his father? Explain your answer.

6. Why does Maggie think Pete might feel contempt as he sits in the apartment?

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

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

9. Where does Pete take Maggie to amuse and impress her? Give at least two specific examples.

10. Describe the fear that begins to rise in Maggie's heart as she looks at the people around her.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Maggie emerges into young adulthood as the indisputable beauty of Rum Alley. The "philosophers" of Rum Alley debate how Maggie underwent such a dramatic physical transformation. They also discuss her beauty in terms of its potential consequences. Is Maggie's beauty an asset or a liability for her? Support your answer with evidence from the book.

Essay Topic 2

The book opens with a fight scene. How does this fact foreshadow the path of the entire book? Discuss at least three specific fight scenes from the book, concentrating on motives and outcomes.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the plays Pete and Maggie go to see as metaphors for Maggie's life. Identify the three main characters in these plays and explain how each serves as a metaphor for people in Maggie's life.

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