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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. To which of the following does Fatty compare himself?

2. How does the novel gloss the term “chevry”?

3. What had been the occupation of Miggy’s husband?

4. How is the name Lowgod defined?

5. How does the text gloss the term “Birkhot Hashachar”?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Moshe book the Afro-Cubans at his theatre?

2. Why does Dodo assume Chona, Nate, and Addie are angry with him?

3. What is the tension surrounding the Afro-Cubans, and how is it resolved?

4. Why does Dodo assign Monkey Pants his sobriquet?

5. When does Nate note having heard the South Carolina State marching band?

6. What understanding of those institutionalized does Miggy report?

7. Why does Fatty absent himself from Chona’s funeral?

8. Why does Doc dislike Gus?

9. What ideas does Fatty consider and reject for getting Nate out of his establishment?

10. What is the dominant occupation of the women of Chicken Hill?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narrative pattern of the novel is marked by asides. What effect do those asides have on the novel, and how is that effect achieved?

Essay Topic 2

The novel muses at some length about the nature of America. What, ultimately, is its vision of what it means to be an American? How does it present that vision?

Essay Topic 3

Consider the ending of the novel. Does it satisfy? How or how not?

(see the answer keys)

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