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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 does Joe buy the mule?

2. Where does Janie get a doctor from?

3. What does Janie find difficult about tending the store?

4. What does Janie have in her new home that none of the other blacks in town have?

5. Who is elected mayor of Eatonville?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Jody's appearance in Chapter 7.

2. How is Tea Cake different than the other men in Janie's life?

3. How do the neighborhood women seem to feel about Janie?

4. What do Janie's neighbors normally do after a long day's work?

5. What are some of the restrictions Jody places on Janie?

6. What is Joe's opinion of Eatonville when he first arrives?

7. What things about Janie make Joe jealous?

8. What are some of the reasons Nanny says that Janie should feel lucky to be married to Logan?

9. Describe Nanny's reaction, in Chapter 3, to hearing that Janie is unhappy.

10. Describe Janie's feelings on love and marriage in Chapter 3.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What impact does the colloquial dialect used in the novel have on the story and how readers relate to the characters? Discuss both the negative and positive effects that the characters' manner of speaking has the development of key elements of the story (e.g. characterization, setting, plot, themes, etc.).

Essay Topic 2

Compare current events to those that take place in Their Eyes Were Watching God, discussing the differences in social reactions to things like racism and classism.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how the frame story (a story within a story) is used in the novel. How is it an effective storytelling tool? How does it resemble folklore or folktales? In what way can the reader better understand the story through Janie's eyes because the story is told in this way?

(see the answer keys)

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