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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Delia say she does for her pony that makes him belong to her?
(a) She shoes him.
(b) She brushes him.
(c) She feeds him.
(d) She fills his water trough.

2. On the afternoon when Sykes and Bertha come to the store, what does the narrator say had even "collapsed under the heat"? (3)
(a) Good will.
(b) Common sense.
(c) Friendships.
(d) Conversation.

3. What simile does Walter use to describe how pretty Delia had been as a young woman?
(a) A striped kitten.
(b) A peacock.
(c) A two-dollar ribbon.
(d) A speckled pup.

4. When Joe Clarke says that there is no law in the world that will make a man act a certain way, what is that certain way he mentions?
(a) Faithful.
(b) Conscientious.
(c) Loving.
(d) Decent.

5. The narrator describes Sykes's choice of the laundry pile on which to step using which adjective?
(a) The whitest.
(b) The tidiest.
(c) The cleanest.
(d) The biggest.

Short Answer Questions

1. What adjective does Sykes use to describe Delia just before he steps into the room where she is sorting laundry?

2. What kind of nuts had Sykes brought as a present to help him woo one of the men's wives?

3. When Sykes declares how tired he is of Delia and leaves the house, what does he do on his way out?

4. When Sykes leaves and Delia feels certain that he will not be home until a certain time, when is that time?

5. Who says he would have married Delia himself if Sykes had not beaten him to it?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author depict Sykes as being childish?

2. What does Sykes's bullwhip symbolize within the story?

3. What is shown about Delia's character traits in the very first paragraph of the story?

4. In what ways do the men on Joe Clarke's porch express contempt for Sykes?

5. What is the reason for the listlessness of the men who gather on Joe Clarke's porch?

6. How is the role of community portrayed within the scene on Joe Clarke's porch?

7. How does Sykes react to Delia's questions whenever she asks him a question?

8. Describe the symbolism of the iron skillet.

9. What is meant by the piece of narration that states, "It was plain that the breaches must remain agape" (6)?

10. In what ways do the men on Joe Clarke's porch express admiration of Delia?

(see the answer keys)

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