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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. How have Min's views on paying rent changed since the beginning of the book?

2. What impression is Lutie left with after she explains her predicament to Boots and leaves his apartment building?

3. How does Bub react to Jones' proposal for making some extra money?

4. Why does Jones find so much comfort in the dark basement of the apartment building?

5. What idea for making money does Jones present to Bub?

Short Essay Questions

1. Chapter 15 begins with a description of the sky. As Min looks up, she recalls that last year's skies were far more colorful. How does this contrast in the skies' colors reflect Min's life?

2. 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?

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. 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?

5. How does Bub's initial refusal to participate in the mail scheme reflect his character and his mother's expectations?

6. Why does Junto refusal to fight in the war?

7. What likely explains Lutie's decision to stop discussing money with Bub (made in Chapter 13)?

8. 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?

9. Unfortunately, Bub's demise can be directly tied to Lutie. Despite her many attempts to keep Bub safe, she is actually the bait used to trap him. What message is the author trying to reveal with this fact?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Lutie's grandmother is a significant character in The Street, despite the fact that she has passed before it's telling. How does Petry make the grandmother as concrete a character as the other living characters? What techniques do you notice that allow the reader to feel as though they "know" the grandmother? What purpose does the grandmother serve within the novel?

Essay Topic 3

The novel's title - The Street - indicates a sense of generality. The book is not given the name of a specific street. Still, it's clear that The Street is not just ANY street. In an essay, explain the loaded nature of the book's title. Be sure to address the author's decision to assign such a vague name while addressing a specific setting. Use details from the text to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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