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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. How does Celie hope Nettie will escape from Pa’s house?

2. What is Shug’s occupation?

3. Why is Sophia arrested?

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

5. Why does Celie think Nettie is dead after she leaves Mr.’s house?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Who is Olivia and where does Celie meet her?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How is God represented in the novel? Why is it significant that Celie writes letters to him, and then abruptly stops? How are Celie and Shug’s views of God different? How do their views ultimately relate back to the novel’s title? 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)

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