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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 item does Skeeter take to carrying around in chapter 11?

2. What chronic condition does Skeeter's mother suffer from at the beginning of the novel?

3. How many babies does Aibileen tell the reader she has cared for in her career?

4. What kind of party does Mrs. Leefolt have in the first chapter of the book?

5. Why does Hilly express distaste at using Mrs. Leefolt's guest bathroom in chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Yule May? What does she want to speak to Aibileen about at a meeting at their church?

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 are the interviews like between Skeeter and Minny? Who does Minny refuse to allow Skeeter to place in her book?

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

5. Who does Aibileen go to work for at the beginning of the novel? What happened just a few months before she accepted this job?

6. What was Treelore hoping to do before his death? How did Aibileen feel about this?

7. What does Aibileen ask of Skeeter during their sixth session together working on Skeeter's book?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

How does the book Skeeter and Aibileen wrote reflect the time period in which the novel is written? How does the writer use actual historical events to reflect the racial tension in Jackson during the time in which the book is set and how these events impacted the lives of the main characters of this book? What might a book like The Help have impacted the lives of those really living in Jackson Mississippi during this time period? What might have been the consequences to a maid like Aibileen? What consequence does Aibileen suffer? How does the book help Aibileen have the courage and the power to stand up to Hilly? What does this say about the changes that take place in the novel for Aibileen and the other maids in Jackson?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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