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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 is Celie’s nickname for Henry Broadnax?

2. Why does Harpo fear his new business will fail?

3. In what season were Mr. and Celie married?

4. What does Mr.’s brother, Tobias, bring for Shug when he visits?

5. What does Harpo blame for his strange bruises?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

All throughout her life, Shug struggles to commit to those she loves – from Mr. to Grady to Germaine to Celie, and even to her children. What has caused Celie to avoid close relationships? Choose two of her relationships and discuss why she might have pushed this person away and how her rejection affected her jilted lover. Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

How does Nettie’s life change when she moves in with Samuel and Corinne? What suspicions do the reverend and his wife have about their new charge? How are these suspicions ultimately resolved, and how does that change Nettie’s life once again? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 910 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample