View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Faith vow to do after her son copies a protest sign in chalk at the playground?

2. What does Ricardo tell Faith in the letter he writes her in "Faith in a Tree"?

3. Who tells Virginia she was a "wild, nice kid" in "An Interest in Life"?

4. Why did Virginia's children call Thursday "Johnday" in "An Interest in Life"?

5. At the end of "Wants," what is a sign to the narrator that change is possible?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Rose meet Volodya Vlashkin? How can you describe their relationship in the beginning?

2. In "Faith in a Tree," what does Richard do after the protesters leave the park?

3. What does the narrator's husband recall fondly from their marriage in "Wants"? How does the narrator's memory of this differ?

4. Describe the differences between Eddie and Carl at the start of "In Time Which Made A Monkey of Us All."

5. Why is Shirley's mother uncomfortable about her performing in her school's Christmas play? What theme does Shirley note in the play?

6. Describe the young boys from "Gloomy Tune."

7. What happened to Ellen in "Living"? What does Faith recall of her at the end of the story?

8. Describe John and his mother Dolly's relationship in "Distance." What details show you what their relationship is like?

9. Who is Josie in "A Woman, Young and Old"? How old is she? How does she behave around Browny?

10. Describe Fred and Dotty's relationshp? Why does she leave him? What money-making idea does she approach him with?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the author of The Collected Stories of Grace Paley. Who is she? What else has she written? How is The Collected Stories of Grace Paley representative of her work and life?

Essay Topic 2

Examine how the theme of race plays a part in the plot of the stories in the collection.

Essay Topic 3

Pick a character from one story and discuss their goals and motives. Do they achieve their motive? Do they share similar goals and motives with other characters? Do their goals clash with other characters? How do the characters' goals and motives affect their interaction with each other?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 911 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample