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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. In "The Burdened Man," what is the woman's husband's occupation?

2. What does one neighbor tell the stranger about the young girls in "In the Garden"?

3. Who is Cissy in "Zagrowsky Tells"?

4. What did the narrator once bring to school in sixth grade, according to Jack in "The Immigrant Story"?

5. What had Lavinia's mother planned to do for work before she got married?

Short Essay Questions

1. What instances of Mr. Zargrowsky's racism does Faith cite in "Zagrowsky Tells"?

2. What happened to the young girls in "In the Garden"? What does someone tell the stranger they think happened?

3. Why is Ruthy sad at her 50th birthday party when her friends tell stories?

4. Who is Philip In "Dreamer in A Dead Language"? Why does he want to meet Faith's father?

5. What happens to Juniper in "Little Girl"?

6. Compare and contrast the mothers at the playground in "Northeast Playground" to the mothers when the older woman was a young mother.

7. What do the men on the subway think of when they see Samuel and his friends jumping on the platform?

8. Describe Nick and Faith's relationship in "The Expensive Moment."

9. Who is Mrs. Luddy and why does Faith stay in her apartment?

10. What conclusion does George come to after his pinball machine is rejected in "This Is a Story About My Friend George"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Paley's language style and word choice in The Collected Stories of Grace Paley. What are some words that stand out to you and why? What words are repeated? What words are most impactful? Explain your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Choose one story and write an essay examining the ending. How did the ending fit into the storyline? Do you think the ending was effective? What theme might the ending represent? What might the author have done differently?

Essay Topic 3

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 765 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample