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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 Chloe see James again for the first time since they kissed?

2. Who does Ruth's makeup for her wedding?

3. Who puts in a lot of time and effort to try to change business owners' minds in Fillmore about selling their property?

4. Where do Horace and Esther go before the big protest?

5. What does Vivian accuse Esther of doing after Esther misses the big audition?

Short Essay Questions

1. What doe Esther do when Horace leans in to kiss her?

2. What is one reason Esther pulls out of the Dunbar audition with Chloe?

3. Who reconnects Chloe with James, and why?

4. What does Esther become increasingly involved with in Part IV?

5. How is Mary a part of Ruth's and Gerry's lives?

6. What does Vivian invite Preacher to her house to do in Part III?

7. What story does Preacher tell about his young love?

8. What shocks the wedding party at the end of the celebration?

9. How does the redevelopment in Fillmore affect Gerry and Ruth?

10. In Part IV, what step does Vivian take regarding what is left of the singing group to try to reach for success again?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do you think Sexton chose to structure the novel in alternating chapters focusing on four main characters, but kept the same third-person perspective throughout? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How does the trauma of Vivian's early life - namely, the murder of her father by the Ku Klux Klan - affect her perspective and life path in Fillmore later on? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why and how does Sexton communicate Ruth's feelings of entrapment both within her own family and in the context of The Salvations? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 600 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample