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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. Where is the ibis perched?

2. What is Doodle's real name?

3. What replaces the tree in the yard?

4. When it is clear that the training plan is harming Doodle, why does Brother continue?

5. What does Mama mean when she tells Brother that Doodle might not be "all there" (2)?

Short Essay Questions

1. When "Brother" dances around with Aunt Nicey to celebrate Doodle walking, what happens, and why it is it ironic?

2. When the family get excited and try to hug "Brother" for teaching Doodle to walk, how does "Brother" react, and why?

3. When school is getting closer, at the end of the summer, how is Doodle doing with his physical training, and what is the result?

4. When Doodle learns to walk, where does the family put his cart, and why is this symbolically appropriate?

5. When Mama tells "Brother" that Doodle might be mentally disabled, what does "Brother" plan to do, and what changes his mind?

6. What changes in Doodle's living situation when he learns to crawl?

7. What future do "Brother" and Doodle imagine for themselves at Old Woman Sawmp?

8. What "training" plan does "Brother" come up with for Doodle, and what is his motive?

9. When "Brother" tells Doodle that he is going to teach Doodle to walk, what is Doodle's response?

10. Where is the grindstone and what is its symbolic meaning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you consider the effect that story structure has on the reader's understanding of theme. Think about how this story would be different if "Brother" told the story as it was happening or even immediately afterward. When you consider that "Brother" has had years to grow up and think about his actions towards Doodle, how does that impact your understanding of what his story means? Be sure to use textual support for your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Write a thesis-driven essay in which you analyze the setting of Old Woman Swamp. Consider questions like these: What events take place there? How do the boys feel while they are there? Why does it matter that it is a natural setting and that it is described as the only spot of beauty around them? Be sure to use textual evidence as support for your claims.

Essay Topic 3

"Brother" feels ashamed of Doodle because of Doodle's physical differences from the average boy that "Brother" knows at school. What other kinds of unnecessary shame do people feel about their relatives or friends, or about themselves, based on differences from what they think is "normal"? Choose one of these to write about--explain what the prejudice is, what it can cause people to do and feel, and why people should actually not be ashamed of this "difference." Cite all of your sources in MLA format.

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