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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 did Pammy take Alma to on Mother's Day?

2. In what industry does Paulie work?

3. Who is the author of "Mother's Day"?

4. What does Alma recall about Debi's parents?

5. What was Paul, Sr.'s occupation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Alma remember about the time she visited the zoo with Pammy and Paulie as children?

2. 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?

3. Who is Pammy? Who is Alma? Why are they together at the start of "Mother's Day"?

4. What were Paul, Sr.'s vices?

5. Who is Paulie? Why is he not with Alma at the start of the story?

6. 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?

7. Who is Paul, Sr.? What did he do for work? Was he successful? How do you know?

8. How does Alma feel about how her children turned out despite being such smart children?

9. What does Paulie recall from the night he hit his father in the groin for scaring him and his sister? What does Alma recall?

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 exploring the theme of motherhood in "Mother's Day." Discuss Debi and Alma as mothers and their present relationship with their children. How do these relationships speak to the themes of the past, regret, and self-delusion?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about how the rainstorm impacts the narrative and moves the story's plot.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring the importance gender has on the story. What does the story say about womanhood and motherhood? Why is this important?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 672 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample