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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 allows Jones to conclude that Min will return home?

2. What does Boots hand the motorcycle policeman when he is pulled over?

3. How does Boots respond to Lutie's question about how he's able to get gas for his car?

4. How do the orchestra members behave toward Lutie after they hear her sing?

5. What's wrong with Min's feet?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does chapter 3 illustrate the racism and sexism faced by Lutie? Provide at least 1 example of each.

2. How did the white bartenders treat the patrons of Junto's? How did this treatment differ from the treatment they received in the workforce?

3. How does Jones's decision to kick Min out after visiting Lutie's apartment reflect his mental instability?

4. How does Lutie feel after being offered the job of singer in Boots' band? What does she know for sure after the offer?

5. Chapter 1 opens with the description of a cold and windy day in New York City. Why might the author have chosen to describe the wind through personification?

6. While riding with Boots, Lutie comes to the conclusion that it would be better to be born with no brain than to understand everything you cannot reach. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

7. Lutie leaves the butcher shop and is in light spirits. As she walks home, she notices that the women are burdened by marketing bags and on their way home to take care of their families after a long day of work. She also notes that the men lounge around watching the women. How does Lutie feels about this distinction?

8. After reading Chapter 5, it is clear what motivates Min. Using the knowledge you've gained about Min, compare her to Lutie. How do the women differ? What characteristics do they share?

9. Who does Lutie hold responsible for the end of her marriage?

10. Lutie first begins to measure people and their intentions in Chapter 1. How do you rate Lutie's ability to read people? Do you think she is accurate in her summations?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jones is not well received by the neighborhood. His strange behaviors intensify this rejection, yet Jones makes no efforts to alter his behaviors so that he might be deemed acceptable to his neighbors. What does this refusal reflect about Jones? What does his rejection reflect about the community? How is Jones' treatment similar to Lutie's treatment, in terms of the sexism and racism she experiences? Use ideas from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the male characters and the female characters in The Street. How do their roles in the novel differ? Specifically, how do their roles within the family, community (The Street), and greater world diverge? What qualities do both genders possess, if any? How have these differences developed according to the novel's characters? For example, how does Lutie explain the differences between the sexes? Use the text to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

The Street ends tragically. Not only is Lutie now a murderer, but she has abandoned her child. Considering the gravity of both of these acts, are you sympathetic to Lutie? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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