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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. With whom does Jess break up in Chapter 9?

2. The general consensus in the 1960s was that if the police roughed you up, ____________________.

3. Who is Jess' foreman at the bindery?

4. To whom does Jess lose her butch virginity?

5. What does Theresa ask Jess to do at the end of Chapter 13?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the topic of feminism enter into Jess and Theresa's life?

2. Who is Butch Al and why is she so important to Jess' life?

3. What is the author's position on labor unions as evidenced in the book?

4. Why is it a mistake for Jess to go into the Pink Pussy Kat Club looking for Milli?

5. Even though Jess experiences anti-Semitic cruelty, what eclipses this hatred directed toward her?

6. What does Jess reveal about her life that many readers today would find shocking?

7. What are the circumstances in which Jess loses her butch virginity?

8. How does the author insert some levity into the story?

9. Describe the first time that Jess experiences a police beating and the impact it has on her.

10. What is Tifka's and why does Jess find it a haven?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the symbolism of Jess' motorcycles. What does a motorcycle signify in the butch-femme world? What role does it play in the story?

Essay Topic 2

The role of parental influence is a strong one and mostly negative on Jess. How was Jess' family fighting its own battles related to anti-Semitism? Does that help to explain why they could not risk a lesbian daughter to add to their torment? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall setting for the novel. Why does Feinberg use the setting she does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

(see the answer keys)

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