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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. How many months pregnant was Miriam when her mother died?

2. In 1995, how old are Joan and Mya?

3. In Chapter 12, where does Joan often eat her dinner so she does not have to see Derek?

4. What is Derek holding in Chapter 12 when a horn sounds in the driveway?

5. What branch of service is Jax in?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does August do when she sees Jax choking Miriam in Chapter 9?

2. Why does Miriam stop at an Exxon filling station in Chapter 2, and does he get what she wants?

3. In Chapter 12, what is Miriam doing?

4. How do Miriam and Jax meet?

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

6. In Chapter 10, what does Miss Dawn tell Joan to do, and what is the result?

7. What wakes Joan in Chapter 6, and what does she see when she goes downstairs?

8. Why did August quit college and start styling hair?

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

10. A week after Joan is raped, what does a doctor tell Miriam and Jax?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

What a reader knows about events and characters is determined by the point of view in a book. What points of view are used in Memphis: A Novel? How do these points of view influence what readers know about events and characters? How does changing the point of view help readers connect with and understand the characters?

Essay Topic 3

August is Derek’s mother. What type of relationship do August and Derek have? Why has August had to rearrange her life around her son? Why does August feel that she has failed her son?

(see the answer keys)

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