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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. In Chapter 6, what does Joan see her mother squirt at her father when they are fighting?

2. What trees shade the house in Chapter 1?

3. What type of car is Jax driving when he and Miriam meet?

4. In Chapter 1, what plants cover the front porch?

5. How long was Derek gone after he raped Joan?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Joan's father say to her mother before he walks out?

2. Who is Derek, and what does Joan remember about him?

3. How do men and women dress for the annual Marine Corps Ball?

4. Why is Jax upset when Miriam wears red shoes in Chpater 5?

5. What does Miriam think it will be like to go back to school?

6. How do Miriam and Jax meet?

7. In 1995, what does August think after she receives the phone call from Miriam telling her that Jax hit her?

8. What did Miriam do before she left North Carolina in Chapter 2?

9. How does Joan describe the house her grandfather built?

10. What is the kitchen like in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Setting is the place and time where a novel takes place. What is the setting in Memphis: A Novel? How does the setting evoke feelings or set the mood in the book?

Essay Topic 2

Derek goes on trial for murder. Why is the verdict of the trial a foregone conclusion?

Essay Topic 3

A German Jew establishes a deli in the North Memphis neighborhood where the Norths live. Why does the deli become a fixture in North Memphis?

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