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

2. Who, in chapter 16, approaches Aibileen at a Community Concerns Meeting at her church about Skeeter's book?

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

4. Who is Miss Myrna?

5. How much younger than Aibileen is Minny Jackson?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the first interview between Skeeter and Aibileen go? What does Skeeter think will happen next?

2. Who is Skeeter Phelan? How does she know Hilly Holbrook? What did Hilly threaten to do in the beginning of chapter 5 to Skeeter?

3. 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?

4. Why does Skeeter try to pay money to Aibileen in chapter 8? How does Aibileen react?

5. What worries Minny about the day that Celia Foote will tell her husband that she has hired a maid? How does Johnny Foote finally find out about Minny?

6. What does Miss Celia do that Minny finds odd? Why does Minny have trouble teaching Miss Celia to cook?

7. What does Hilly Holbrook ask Aibileen that she feels she must answer honestly for Mae Mobley's sake? Why does Hilly ask this question of Aibileen?

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

9. How did Minny Jackson get an interview with Celia Foote? What happens at the interview?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Hilly's bathroom initiative. What is it? What is the point behind it? Why would Hilly think that sharing a bathroom with a black person could lead to the exchange of deadly diseases? Why does Hilly pressure Mrs. Leefolt into building a bathroom in the car port for Aibileen? How does Aibileen feel about this? What happens when Aibileen takes Mae Mobley into the new bathroom constructed for Aibileen's use? What does Mrs. Leefolt do when Mae Mobley attempts to use the bathroom in the carport? How does this inspire Aibileen to begins sharing secret stories with Mae Mobley?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following themes in an essay using quotes from the novel to support your conclusions:

1) Racism

2) Family

3) Social Expectations

4) Ambition versus Fear.

Essay Topic 3

What does Skeeter learn about the publication of her book at the end of the novel? How do Aibileen and Minny feel when they learn the book will be published? What decision does Minny make that she hopes will guarantee no one learns that the book was written about Jackson by maids living in Jackson? How does this place Minny in danger? Why does Aibileen think Minny made this decision? What are the sales like when the book first comes out? What changes this? What does Hilly think of the book? What does she tell all her friends about the book? What changes Hilly's mind about her determination to prove it was written in and about Jackson? Why does Hilly threaten to sue Skeeter?

(see the answer keys)

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