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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 Tuan do immediately when his father asks him to stop crying in Part III?

2. What does Broome prefer to drink at bars that seems to turn some people off?

3. Who was the first man Broome's mother became involved with after moving to the big city after high school?

4. What does Broome's mother say she regrets doing in Part IV?

5. When did Broome frequent The Holiday?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Broome think about the process of aging?

2. Why is Broome so upset at seeing his mother's reaction to Luther Vandross?

3. In "Look Left, Look Right," why is Broome looking to make fast money?

4. In "The Key," what question do prospective partners often ask Broome?

5. What huge lie does Broome's father, Junior, tell his mother?

6. Who does a woman on the bus in "The Initiation of Tuan" remind Broome of and why (137-8)?

7. What television event does Broome's mother get very excited about in "A House is not a Home" ?

8. What does Broome's mother do that Broome's father beats her badly over?

9. What happens when Broome goes home with Jason in "Like This"?

10. What is Broome's mother's and the other women's reaction to seeing Luther Vandross on television?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How and when does Broome seem to come to a deeper and more empathetic understanding of the struggles his mother faced when he was a child? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Broome feel an immediate link between Tuan, a young Black boy who is a stranger on a bus, and his own childhood? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

What are some of the self-destructive behaviors Broome explores and explains throughout the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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