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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 time do Pete and Maggie arrive back at the apartment after the show?

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

3. When the dancing girl first appears in the show, what is she wearing?

4. As he drinks at the bar, to what does Fader liken his home?

5. What three characters figure prominently in every play that Maggie and Pete go to see?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the setting of the opening scene of Chapter 1.

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

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

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

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

6. What is the condition of the apartment when Maggie and Pete leave on Friday night? What is Mudder's condition?

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

8. What is Jimmie's attitude toward well-dressed men?

9. Why does Pete break up the fight between Jimmie and the Devil's Row boys, but encourages the fight between Jimmie and Blue Billie?

10. What is Jimmie's reaction when Fader tries to steal the old woman's beer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Maggie's reaction to the "painted" women in Chapter 12 is one of the most obvious examples of foreshadowing in this book. Discuss the concept of foreshadowing and explain how Maggie's reaction is an example of foreshadowing. Use specific citations from the text to support your points.

(see the answer keys)

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