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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. 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?
(a) Gawd.
(b) Joe.
(c) Dave.
(d) Elijah.

2. What type of material makes up the mattress of the bed in Delia's home?
(a) Buckwheat.
(b) Sawdust.
(c) Hay.
(d) Feathers.

3. What does the narrator say that the men on Joe's porch do with the cane-knots on the day Sykes and Bertha come to the store, due to the extreme heat?
(a) They kick them out of the way.
(b) They let them be eaten by the dogs.
(c) They pile them in their laps.
(d) They let them dribble over the edge of the porch.

4. What does Delia call Sykes's action of scaring her with the bullwhip?
(a) A travesty.
(b) A joke.
(c) A sin.
(d) An injustice.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What instruction does Sykes insist that he has given Delia over and over again without her capitulation?

2. What day of the week is considered the Sabbath within traditional Christianity?

3. For how long has Delia been married to Sykes?

4. What does Delia say Sykes had brought to their marriage?

5. What kind of indifference does the narrator say Delia comes to feel about everything Sykes says or does after she realizes that his evil deeds will revisit him in the end?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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

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. At what point does the author show the first change in Delia's character and how does she portray this change?

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

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

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

8. 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?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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