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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 Tea Cake say he will come back to visit Janie?

2. Why do the other black children pick on Janie all the time?

3. Where does Janie get married?

4. How does Janie feel about Tea Cake at the end of Chapter 10?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Janie do immediately after Joe dies?

2. Explain how Janie earns the name "Alphabet."

3. Describe Logan as Janie sees him.

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

5. What are the circumstances surrounding Joe's death?

6. How does Janie feel about Nanny in Chapter 9?

7. What does Janie think about Joe buying the mule?

8. What is Janie's first impression of Tea Cake in Chapter 10?

9. How is death personified in Chapter 8?

10. How does Janie feel about marrying again after Joe is gone?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does the novel reveal about the perceptions of blacks about whites, and vice versa, during the time in which the novel is set? Is there a message underlying the interaction between races? Does there seem to be a struggle on the part of certain characters to change how blacks are viewed in society? Use specific examples from the novel to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

What is the significance of the title Their Eyes Were Watching God? What does this title reveal about Janie's journey toward self-realization? Is the title a statement about Janie or other characters? Does the title imply a sense of waiting or searching? How?

Essay Topic 3

It can be said that Their Eyes Were Watching God captures the importance of oral history and the oral tradition in African American culture. What elements of the story support this?

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