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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. When Mama tells Brother that she is afraid that Doodle might not be "all there," what is Brother's response (2)?

2. What is Brother's real name?

3. At what time of year is Doodle finally ready to show the family that he can walk?

4. When does the family finally bring Doodle out to be with the rest of the family?

5. Who uses a book to find the name of the ibis?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Whenever Doodle wants to quit trying to learn how to walk, how does "Brother" motivate him to keep trying?

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

4. What are Chateau-Thierry, Amiens, and Soissons, and how do they relate to this story?

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

6. What images of death does the story open with?

7. How old is Doodle when he learns to walk, and why is his age relevant to him learning to walk?

8. How does Doodle die?

9. When the boys are almost ready to show the family that Doodle can walk and they keep hinting that they have a big secret, what does Nicey tell them and what is its thematic significance?

10. What changes in the narrator's life when Daddy makes Doodle a cart?

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

What has the narrator learned from his brother's death? Use evidence from the text to demonstrate how his attitudes and beliefs have either stayed the same or changed between the time when he was a child and the time when he tells this story.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one symbol from the story and write an essay that analyzes its use: be sure to consider the descriptions associated with the symbol, the mood it is intended to create, and its role in the plot as you make a claim about the symbol's meaning and function in the story.

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