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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 Stella want to tell Desiree?

2. What does Kennedy tell her mother about college?

3. What does Stella think of Kennedy dropping out of college?

4. Who does Early send to Lou's to get Desiree?

5. Why does Stella like being with Blake?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Jude give Kennedy in New York?

2. What does Jude accidentally reveal to Kennedy at the cast party?

3. What office job does Stella get in New Orleans?

4. Who shows up to Kennedy's last show at the Stardust Theater?

5. What neighborhood woman does Stella befriend in L.A.?

6. Why does Stella go back to Mallard?

7. What does Kennedy do for a living while in New York?

8. Why was Stella fired from her first job away from home?

9. How does Stella get an office job in New Orleans?

10. Why does Kennedy get so drunk at the cast party?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you examine the relationship between Stella and Loretta Walker. Why is Stella so hesitant to befriend Loretta, and for what reasons does their relationship eventually fizzle out? What impact does Loretta leave on Stella? Use evidence from the text for support.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay explaining the significance of the title of the novel. How does the title, The Vanishing Half, support the overall narrative tone and themes? Use evidence from the text for support.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you analyze the setting of Mallard, Louisiana. What is this place, and what is it like to live there, based on the lives of the characters who have lived there? Use evidence from the text for support.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 526 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample