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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 gesture would Constantine use to let Skeeter knew she wanted her to pay close attention to her?

2. What does Skeeter admit caused her some disappointment at first in chapter 12?

3. Why does one of Aibileen's grown white children tell her he still does not drink coffee in chapter 7?

4. Why does Celia Foote refuse to tell her husband she has hired a maid in chapter 3?

5. What does Aibileen promise all the women she approaches about helping with Skeeter's book will be done to protect their identities?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Skeeter show to Aibileen in chapter 14? Why does Aibileen later show this same thing to Minny?

2. In chapter 10, Celia locks herself in the bathroom and yells at Minny when she comes to change the bedsheets. What does this and other odd behaviors say about Celia?

3. Why does Aibileen begin telling Mae Mobley she is a smart, kind girl?

4. What does Hilly Holbrook complain about at Elizabeth Leefolt's? How does this lead to the Leefolt's building a new bathroom in the carport of their home?

5. Who is Constantine? What does Skeeter think happened to her?

6. What rules did Minny's mother tell her about working for a white woman? Which rule does Minny constantly break?

7. Why does Skeeter begin visiting Aibileen at Mrs. Leefolt's house? What does Skeeter talk to Aibileen about?

8. What does Celia spend most of her days doing? What is the result?

9. Who is killed blocks from Aibileen's home? What is the aftermath of this death?

10. What does Aibileen write in her small notebook? How did she get into this habit?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Minny think Celia is crazy? What does Celia spend her days doing? How is this different from the behavior of the other women Minny has worked for? Why does Celia escape into the second floor of her home several times a day? What does Minny think she is doing up there? What is Celia really doing up there? What is the cause of Celia's odd behaviors? Why do none of the women in Jackson accept Celia into their social circle? What does Celia believe the problem is? How does she go about fixing it? What happens? What story does Minny tell Celia that appears to help her understand the women of Jackson better?

Essay Topic 2

What does Hilly find in Skeeter's satchel that makes her think Skeeter is a supporter of civil rights? How does Hilly react to this? Why does she react in this way? What is Hilly's opinion of the treatment of blacks in Jackson? How is this reflected by her actions and comments? How does this impact Skeeter's social status in Jackson after Hilly finds something questionable in Skeeter's satchel? What does Skeeter think Hilly found? How does this lead to fear on hers and Aibileen's parts? What does Aibileen overhear that makes Skeeter feel better about the situation?

Essay Topic 3

Who is Minny Jackson? What does she do for a living? Why does she find herself searching for a job in the early chapters of the novel? What trouble does she run into while looking for a job? Why is this? Why does Minny blame herself for much of her job hunting trouble? Is Minny really to blame for her inability to find a job? Who does Minny serve the Terrible, Awful thing to? Why does she call it the Terrible, Awful? What did Minny do? Why did she do this? What was the consequence of this action? How does Minny feel about what she has done?

(see the answer keys)

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