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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. What does John hear as he is heading back into his house after the fight?

2. What does Edith decide is true about John when he has not arrived by six o'clock?

3. What does the narrator mean by "even his feeling about his little girl was qualified" (3)?

4. What word does Mrs. Markey use on page 9 that infuriates Edith?

5. How do the Androses know the Markeys?

Short Essay Questions

1. Before John arrives at the party, why is Edith irritated with him?

2. What does John Andros see as the drawbacks to being a father?

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

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

5. What is John's response to Edith's request that he stop by the baby party, and why?

6. What does John Andros enjoy about being a father?

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

8. What reason does the narrator give for the children's good behavior?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that examines the comic techniques that Fitzgerald uses in "The Baby Party." While it is important to specifically identify these techniques and give examples of their use, remember that the main focus of analytical writing is to explain how the techniques work and how they support meaning.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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