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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 general shares a name with a popular hotel and restaurant in this book?

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

3. What book does Skeeter steal from the white library in chapter 13 because it has been damaged and defamed?

4. Who does Skeeter mail the chapter with Aibileen's story to in chapter 12?

5. What does Hilly give to Aibileen after a bridge party in chapter 12?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. What letter does Skeeter receive in chapter 6 that inspires her to begin searching for a writing job and to find unique topics to write about?

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

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

9. 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?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Minny's home life. How does Minny's husband treat her? Why does Minny not stand up for herself to her husband as she does with the white women who employ her? Why does Leroy throw a dish at Minny's forehead? What does Minny tell Celia about this injury? Why does Leroy later lock Minny in the house and threaten to burn the house down around her? What does Minny do after this happens? What does Aibileen recommend Minny do in reaction to Leroy's behavior? Does she? How does this suggest a happy ending for Minny at the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

What does Skeeter do that causes her to lose all her friends? Why did Skeeter do this? What did it prove? Did it change anything? How does Skeeter feel about this change in her social life? Is Skeeter saddened by the loss of her friends? Did Skeeter truly consider Hilly her friend? How do Aibileen and Minny feel about what has happened to Skeeter? How does this treatment of Skeeter by those in Jackson force her to make a life altering decision? How does this ousting by the social caste compare to Celia Foote's place in Jackson society? Why do you think the author felt the need to create two such parallel characters?

(see the answer keys)

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