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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. On what night of the week does Delia stay up late in order to get a head start on her work?
(a) Monday.
(b) Saturday.
(c) Sunday.
(d) Wednesday.

2. Jim says that Sykes has always been crazy about what kind of women?
(a) Dark.
(b) Beautiful.
(c) Light.
(d) Fat.

3. When Delia picks up an object and strikes a pose after being threatened by Sykes, what does the narrator state as the action that Sykes refrains from performing, though he usually would perform it right away in such a situation?
(a) Calling the magistrate.
(b) Striking Delia.
(c) Yelling at Delia.
(d) Leaving the house.

4. When the narrator states that Delia lies awake thinking about debris cluttering a certain kind of trail, what adjective is used to describe that trail?
(a) Philosophical.
(b) Lonely.
(c) Matrimonial.
(d) Familial.

5. The narrator describes Delia as giving "a little scream of" (2) what when Sykes steps upon her laundry?
(a) Dismay.
(b) Rage.
(c) Surprise.
(d) Outrage.

Short Answer Questions

1. What adjective does the narrator use to describe Delia's pose when she picks up the object after Sykes threatens to hit her?

2. About what task does Sykes state his lack of care about whether Delia ever gets the task done or not?

3. When Sykes tells Delia that he has promised "some other men" (2) that he will not allow Delia to do laundry for white people, whose name is the only one he mentions?

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

5. When Delia goes into the yard to retrieve the washtub, what action does Sykes take inside the house?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is foreshadowing incorporated into the very first encounter between Delia and Sykes?

2. In what ways does Sykes's character emerge within the story's very first featured encounter between Sykes and Delia?

3. What is the significance of Delia's comment that she does not want to fight with Sykes because she has just come back from church services?

4. How is the reader made aware that Delia used to love Sykes and still could if he would only change his behavior?

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

6. What is demonstrated about Sykes's character when the narrator states, "It pleased him for Delia to see" (3) him ordering for Bertha at the store?

7. What is the significance of Joe Clarke's pronouncement that some men treat women like pieces of sugar-cane?

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

9. Why does Delia stay up so much later on Sunday nights than on any other night of the week and how does Sykes find fault with this practice?

10. In what season does the story begin its narrative and what does this choice by the author symbolize?

(see the answer keys)

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