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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 part of Harpo’s body does Celie notice is changing due to his excessive habit?

2. What name did Celie sew into her daughter’s diaper before the baby was taken away from her?

3. What does Celie feel so guilty about that she struggles to sleep at night?

4. How does Mr.’s attitude change after Shug moves in?

5. How does Sofia react to being slapped?

Short Essay Questions

1. What obsessive behavior does Harpo start, and what does this suggest about his character?

2. What happens when Squeak tries to convince the warden to let Sofia out of jail early?

3. Why does Celie suddenly feel jealous of Mr. and Shug when she sees them at the juke joint?

4. How does Shug Avery come to live in Celie’s house, and how does Celie feel about this?

5. How does Mr.’s family feel about having Shug in the house?

6. How does Harpo react to the news that Sofia’s father doesn’t think he’s good enough for her?

7. What happens when Harpo and Sofia see each other for the first time at the juke joint?

8. What brings on Celie’s terrible beating from Pa after church?

9. How many children does Celie give birth to, and what happens to them?

10. Why does Celie have trouble sleeping when she thinks about Harpo and Sofia’s relationship?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare / contrast the role of white women and black women in the novel. How are their lives the same? How are they different? Why is it significant that Sofia, a strong black woman, would work in Millie, a weak white woman’s house? What do each of the women learn from this experience? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think Walker chose to name Celie’s husband Mr. _________? What message might she be sending the reader by not giving him a last name? In journalistic writing, last names are often omitted to protect certain identities. Might this tradition have influenced Walker in some way? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Growing up, both Shug and Celie were told that they would amount to nothing: Celie was told she was ugly and Shug was told she was evil. How do you see these messages affecting the two women as they matured into adulthood? How did these messages ultimately bring the two women together? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

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