1. Chapter 1 outlines the dynamics of Lutie's household. Lutie's father's girlfriend, Lil, has Bub lighting her cigarettes and tasting her gin. How does Lil's behavior reflect and amplify Lutie's fears for her son?

2. In Chapter 1, what idea does the author hope to represent with the shrinking canary, dog, and woman in Jones' apartment?

3. How does Lutie's grandmother's insistence that the butchers in Harlem use embalming fluid to give their meat a nice fresh color reflect her grandmother's overall view of life?

4. How does the stolen purse incident reflect the theme of the book?

5. Chapter 2 provides Lutie with a valuable lesson: "Anybody could be rich if he wanted to and worked hard enough and figured it out carefully enough." Still, Lutie is often discouraged by the world around her. How does the external world affect Lutie's internal life?

6. 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?

7. What is likely the reason Bub refuses to tell his mother he's afraid of the dark?

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

9. 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?

10. Chapter 5 is written from Min's point of view. Why has the author chosen to use different narrators?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Min is a fairly docile character. Even though her mind is hard at work, she rarely voices an opinion, even about her own treatment. She juxtaposes other women who are quite different in nature. Mrs. Hedges is overtly vocal about what she thinks--giving unwarranted advice at times. Lutie may not always condemn things aloud, but she does not stand for them and will respond with some sort of action. In your opinion, which of the three characters best handles life? Whose approach has brought the most freedom? In contrast, which character's life choices have resulted in a less than desirable life? Support your ideas with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 2

At the book's end, Lutie makes the decision to abandon her son. In her mind, she will be of no use to Bub as a murderer. Bub, who has been the center of her concern for the entire book, is suddenly and seemingly dismissed. As a reader, was this an action you could have predicted? If so, which of Lutie's qualities led you to believe she was capable of this type of behavior? If not, do you think this behavior is believable? Has the author acted within the limits of the character's personality?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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