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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. Why does Mr. Markey go upstairs after the altercation between Billy and Ede?

2. On page 6, how does the narrator characterize the behavior of the children at the party?

3. What does the most difficult part of parenting seem to be for John?

4. What is Mrs. Markey's first concern when Ede and Billy are arguing over the teddy bear?

5. What interrupts Edith's thoughts about John as the party is winding down?

Short Essay Questions

1. What background information does the narrator give about John, and how does this background affect his mood when he is headed for the party?

2. Describe the setting of "The Baby Party."

3. How does Edith feel about talking to Mrs. Markey?

4. What does Edith see when she first arrives at the baby party?

5. How does Mrs. Markey respond to Edith's laughter?

6. How does the dispute between Ede and Billy begin, and what happens during their argument?

7. What does John hear when he approaches the Markeys' house, and what is his response?

8. How does Edith prepare Ede for the party, and why?

9. What time does Edith Andros arrive at the baby party, and why?

10. How do the mothers react to Ede, and how does she react to the party?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the importance of social order to the adults in "The Baby Party." Defend your assertions with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Fitzgerald choose to include the detail of Ede's phone calls with her father as well as the phone conversation between Edith and John about the baby party? Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the significance of phone conversations in the story. Use textual evidence to defend your assertions.

Essay Topic 3

Read the article "When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink?" by Jeanne Maglaty (available online). Then, think about how this seemingly small detail in the story actually has real significance. Why does Edith choose pink? How does this change your understanding of her comments to John on the phone? How does it change your understanding of John's wondering if the dress is "something radical and mature"? (4) What are the women at the party probably thinking when Ede appears dressed in pink? Write an essay in which you make and defend a claim about the significance of Ede's pink dress. Be sure to defend your observations with evidence from the text.

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