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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 does JJ feel about the idea that people can change?

2. Who was Devon's friend that he spent the most time with?

3. What happens to the Simmy's building after it closes?

4. Who bought Devon some food at McDonald's in Chapter 30?

5. What happens to the sign from Simmy's after it closes?

Short Essay Questions

1. What memory about working for a white family does Don share with Jonnie in Chapter 25?

2. What happens when Joy's car breaks down and she needs to call her brother to give her and Devon a ride home in chapter 30?

3. What does Jimmy Patterson try to do for Devon in Chapter 30?

4. Why does Sylvia go with Ava to the doctor every time she goes to get a pregnancy-related test?

5. What does Ava do when she visits the reservoir with JJ in Chapter 34 that is dangerous and unexpected?

6. What does Ava hope might happen when she and JJ go to the spot where Devon died?

7. What errand does Sylvia take Lana with her to do in Chapter 22 that is related to Marcus?

8. When JJ calls Ava in Chapter 19, how does she realize her feelings for him differ from her feelings for Henry?

9. Why does Sylvia seem to decide she can not help Marcus any longer in Chapter 33?

10. What does Lana suggest that she and Sylvia do together in Chapter 29 to calm themselves a bit?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you think Sylvia means when she tells Frank Ferguson "There's no getting beyond some things" (353)? Write an essay explaining your answer, taking into account both Sylvia's and Frank's fraught relationships with their own children.

Essay Topic 2

One of the themes of this novel is the lack of opportunities and options for people, especially black people, in a depressed manufacturing town that has been losing jobs and residents for years. Do you think any of the characters on this novel would say achieving the American Dream is still possible? Write an essay explaining why or why not, citing references to the text in your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Consider the quote, “Every town has a section where the people are rich and their lives so far from yours you almost expect them to speak another tongue” (2). Write an essay analyzing why JJ Ferguson's return to Pinewood, North Carolina and his construction of his mansion is so significant to the town's residents, exploring the emotions this event unleashes. Cite specific references to the text to support your answer.

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