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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. Why is Mae Mobley spending less time with Aibileen in chapter 29?

2. How old is Mae Mobley at the beginning of chapter 22?

3. Why does Skeeter tell her mother in chapter 28 that most of the holiday parties have been canceled?

4. What reason does Stuart give Skeeter in chapter 28 for not working on the oil rigs any longer?

5. What appliance does Mrs. Phelan finally allow installed in her house in chapter 21 after receiving doctors orders to do so?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Skeeter learn about Yule May in chapter 19? What does the letter from Yule May to Skeeter say? What is the result of this situation?

2. With whom does Skeeter and her parents have dinner in chapter 20? What happens between Skeeter and Stuart during this evening?

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

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

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. What television show discusses Skeeter's book in chapter 29? What is the result?

7. In chapter 22, it is Mae Mobley's birthday. What kind of cake does Aibileen want to make? Why? What kind does Elizabeth Leefolt insist on Aibileen making?

8. What does Mrs. Stein tell Skeeter in chapter 27 about the deadline for the book? How does this change things?

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

10. Who has Skeeter started dating in chapter 19? Why does she refuse to go to Biloxi with him?

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 the style in which the author chose to write this novel. Discuss the first person point of view. What is first person point of view? How does the writer of this novel utilize this point of view in a unique way? Does this lead to confusion for the reader? In what way? How has the author structured the chapters? How does this add to or subtract from any possible confusion to the reader? Why do you suppose the writer felt it was important to tell her story in the first person point of view? What is unique about the grammar used by two of the main characters in the novel? Why do you suppose the author chose to use such grammar in her writing?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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