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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 Jones conclude about the best way to get to Lutie?

2. What does Mrs. Hedges recall when Lutie leaves her apartment?

3. What does Jones ask Min to do for him after seeing the postman?

4. Which statement best describes Jones' conclusion about Lutie?

5. What does Miss Rinner associate the school's smell with?

Short Essay Questions

1. Chapter 18 ends tragically when Lutie repeatedly strikes Boots in the head with a candlestick. What does the author intend for Boots to represent? Why does Lutie feel compelled to strike him so many times?

2. In Chapter 13, Lutie is yet again propositioned. She's presented with the opportunity to receive free singing lessons if she'd just allow Mr. Crosse to see her a couple of times a week. Lutie refuses. What drives Lutie's determination not to exchange her body for personal advancement?

3. Jones realizes that Min has left in Chapter 16. He notes how empty his apartment feels and is especially disturbed by the absence of the table. Why is Jones' reaction ironic?

4. In Chapter 17, Lutie is going to visit Bub at the Children's Shelter. The day is dark and grim. How has the author used the weather to supplement the telling of this story? How does the author's decision to use weather to supplement a story's telling impact the reader?

5. Explain why Junto and Boots feel that they can discuss Lutie's future and disregard her hopes without her consent.

6. Throughout the book, Mrs. Hedges has been painted as a negative personality by both Jones and Lutie. On the other hand, Min and Junto regard her highly. Which perception would the author like the reader to trust?

7. Does the author's decision to write Chapter 12 from Jones's point of view impacted the readers' impression of the character?

8. It is both Lutie's presence and her absence that allows Jones to get a hold of Bub. Explain how this is possible.

9. In Chapter 16, Bub is taken into custody by the post-office investigators. How does this fact impact Lutie's feelings about The Street?

10. Boots hesitates before conceding to Junto's request that Lutie be left alone. What might that slight hesitation suggest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Every writer has his or her own style. That style is marked by word choice, sentence structure, and elements like characterization and plot development. How would you describe Ann Petry's style? Be sure to use direct quotes from the text to illustrate your point. It may be helpful to compare and contrast Petry to other authors you've read.

Essay Topic 3

Up until the novel's end, Lutie can be heralded as a virtuous character. Then, she kills Boots. In an essay, chart Lutie's decline and go further to explain it. What is the author's message in the demise of her main and moral character?

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