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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. Where does Alma say she wants to go when Pammy suggests they walk up Pickle Street?

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

3. What does Alma recall Paul, Sr. doing the time Pammy slapped her?

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

5. How does Alma feel about what her daughter tries to point out to her as the walk Pine Street at the start of the story?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. Who is Debi Hather? Where does Alma first see her in the story? How does Alma remember her?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Though Debi and Alma's thoughts the readers sees how each woman copes by rewriting the past. Write an essay explore the ways in which both Debi and Alma rewrite their story. What parts of their story do they change and why?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay describing the imagery used in "Mother's Day." Indicate examples of imagery in explore how the imagery in the story drives the narrative.

Essay Topic 3

Pick a character from "Mother's Day" and discuss their goals and motives. Do they achieve their motive? Do they share similar goals and motives with other characters? Do their goals clash with other characters? How do the characters' goals and motives affect their interaction with each other?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 762 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample