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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 the term “bright” mean to Harpo?

2. After moving in with the family, what does Shug want Mr. to do for her?

3. How does Mr.’s father feel about Shug living in the house?

4. What makes Shug feel well enough to move out of Mr.’s house?

5. Why is Mr. upset with the townsfolk after Shug moves in with him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Harpo start working in the fields, and how does he feel about it?

2. What is unique about the novel’s style, which is made apparent within the first few pages?

3. Why does Sofia decide to leave Harpo, and how does he react to the news?

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

5. How does Celie come to own her very first dress, and what does it look like?

6. How do Carrie and Kate react when they meet Celie for the first time?

7. How does Mr. react when Nettie comes to live with him, and why does she end up leaving?

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

9. What lesson does Shug teach Celie about her sexuality?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is significant about the day that Celie and Nettie are reunited? What major obstacles did they overcome to be together again in America? How does Celie feel at the end of the novel, and what message does this send to the reader about the value of family? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the role of women, specifically black women, in the novel. What is the expected role that these women will take on? Are there any characters that fight against this expectation? If not, why? If so, what happens to them? 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)

This section contains 965 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample