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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 term of endearment does Sani use for Moth?

2. What does Aunt Jack do outside in the yard before leaving for the summer?

3. What does Sani's little sister give him to make him feel better?

4. What does Moth replace the thing she takes from Aunt Jack without asking for?

5. Where did Moth once desperately want to apply to college?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Moth think she might not hate this coming summer as much as she has hated the past two?

2. Why does Moth's grandfather say she dances so well?

3. Why does Sani smash his guitar at Moth's house in Part II?

4. What does Moth do every morning as an offering for the ancestors?

5. What does Aunt Jack's note on the fridge say when she leaves for the summer?

6. What does Moth mean when she says she is living "a secondhand life" (5)?

7. What can Moth hear her mother saying on her dance recordings from competitions?

8. What would Moth rather be than being too perfect?

9. What does Moth witness happening behind Sani's front window when she stops by his house?

10. What do Sani and Moth begin working on together in Part II after no one shows up at Moth's party?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What specific plot points does McBride use to help advance the development of Moth's and Sani's bond and understanding of each other? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does McBride communicate the importance of dance to Moth's character and sense of self? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

A reviewer of this novel wrote that she does not often feel compelled to go back and start a novel again after reading the ending, but with this book, this is exactly what she did - convinced she would find a new perspective on the whole story. Do you agree or disagree with this sentiment? Write an essay explaining why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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