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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 Skeeter feel the Whitworth house is a museum in honor of in chapter 20?

2. What does Mrs. Phelan tell the Whitworths Skeeter has been writing about in chapter 20?

3. Who did Johnny Foote tell Minny he had asked to come play bridge with Celia?

4. Who is Pascagoula's cousin?

5. What book does Minny discover Johnny Foote is reading in chapter 18?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens at Hilly Holbrook's house in chapter 22? Who is responsible?

2. Why does Skeeter feel it is important to change the location and names in the book she is writing?

3. Hilly Holbrook wins Minny's chocolate pie in the silent auction at the Benefit. Who bid on the pie for Hilly? Who does she think bid on it for her?

4. What does Mrs. Stein ask Skeeter to add to the book in chapter 27? What does Skeeter ask Aibileen in order to help her with this?

5. In chapter 24, Minny fights with a naked man in the Foote's backyard. Who is the man? Why is Minny fighting him? What happens?

6. How are most of the women at the Benefit dressed? How does Celia Foote stand out?

7. What are the secret stories that Aibileen tells Mae Mobley? Why does Aibileen tell these stories?

8. What does Hilly tell Skeeter to publish in the League newsletter or she will throw her out of the league?

9. Why does Minny feel that Celia Foote does not understand the line between whites and blacks?

10. What is the Terrible Awful? Why does Minny tell it to Celia in chapter 26?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

What happens at the first interview between Skeeter and Aibileen? Why does Aibileen have trouble telling her stories to Skeeter? Why does Aibileen suggest she begin writing down her stories? How does Skeeter react to this? Why is Skeeter reluctant to let Aibileen do any of the writing? Why does she eventually change her mind? What does Skeeter do with Aibileen's chapter for the book? How does this lead to a deadline for the book? What is Aibileen's role in the writing of the book after she has told her own stories?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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