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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 Pammy try to point out to her mother as they walk Pine Street at the start of the story?
2. Who is the author of "Mother's Day"?
3. What did Pammy take Alma to on Mother's Day?
4. What does Alma recall Paul, Sr. doing the time Pammy slapped her?
5. What does Paulie claim his father did to him when he punched him in the groin when he was young?
Short Essay Questions
1. What were Paul, Sr.'s vices?
2. Who is Paul, Sr.? What did he do for work? Was he successful? How do you know?
3. Who is Pammy? Who is Alma? Why are they together at the start of "Mother's Day"?
4. What did Alma do for her husband to entice him to stay home when he began staying out all night when the children were young?
5. What does Paulie recall from the night he hit his father in the groin for scaring him and his sister? What does Alma recall?
6. Who is Paulie? Why is he not with Alma at the start of the story?
7. What does Alma remember about the time she visited the zoo with Pammy and Paulie as children?
8. How does Alma feel about how her children turned out despite being such smart children?
9. How does Alma feel about Pammy pointing out the purple flowers to her on their walk? What is Pammy wearing and how does Alma feel about her outfit?
10. Who is Debi Hather? Where does Alma first see her in the story? How does Alma remember her?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Write an essay examining Debi's sweeping as a symbol in "Mother's Day." In what scenes does Debi's sweeping appear? What is the context? How does this develop the narrative?
Essay Topic 2
Write an essay exploring the importance gender has on the story. What does the story say about womanhood and motherhood? Why is this important?
Essay Topic 3
Write a brief essay analyzing Saunders's choice to write "Mother's Day" in alternating past and present tense. Do you agree with this choice? How would the story be different if written entirely in one tense?
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This section contains 750 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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