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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 Shug teach Celie about sex?

2. Who does Celie think about while having sex with her husband on her wedding night?

3. How do Celie’s sisters-in-law feel about her housekeeping skills?

4. What does Celie’s father think she did church, leading to a terrible beating?

5. Why is Celie jealous of Mr. and Shug at Harpo’s bar?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why is Mr. so emotional with Shug in his house?

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

4. What changes about Harpo’s life after Sofia leaves him?

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

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

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

8. How do Mr. and Celie come to be married?

9. How does Celie try to protect Nettie from Pa?

10. How does Harpo’s juke joint fare when it first opens?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the theme of fatherhood in the novel. Which character do you think is the best father in the novel? Why? Which character do you think is the worst? In what ways can you see parenting styles, specifically fatherhood, affecting characters as they mature into adulthood? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

What is sewing a symbol for in the novel? Why is it significant that Celie and Sofia sew a quilt together after Shug moves in? What does the diversity of a patchwork quilt suggest about the relationships in the novel, particularly the female relationships? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Celie’s sexuality. How was she first introduced to sex, and how did that introduction affect her future relationships? What did Shug teach Celie about her sexuality, and how did this lesson change Celie for the rest of the novel? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 962 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample