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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 technique is used on page 3 when John's life is described as "a series of struggles up a series of rugged hills"?

2. What technique is used in the page 3 phrase "the weary merry-go-round of the commuting train"?

3. What is implied about the sudden end to the phone conversation between Edith and John when she tells him about the baby party?

4. What surprising thing does Joe say to John after the fight?

5. What does John do to accommodate Edith's wishes?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. What does Mrs. Markey say about Ede when she and Edith are first talking, and how does Edith react?

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

7. What does John tell Edith about how he ended up fighting Joe, and what is the truth?

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

9. What does Edith do each weekday afternoon, and why?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

John Markey is only 38 years old, but because of events in his past, he feels older. Write an essay that considers the significance of this detail in relationship to the overall theme of "The Baby Party." Use evidence from the text to support your claims.

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 compares and contrasts the altercations between Ede and Billy, Edith and Mrs. Markey, and John and Joe. Be sure that your essay advances a claim about the significance of the similarities and differences. Defend your arguments with evidence from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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