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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 happens to Tea Cake as he and Janie are trying to get out of the water?

2. Why don't the police make many arrests when the workers get drunk in town?

3. What does Tea Cake do when Janie cannot swim anymore?

4. What does Janie take with her when she leaves?

5. What does Janie tell Pheoby she wants to get married again for?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Pheoby react to Janie's story at the end of the novel?

2. How does Mrs. Turner react to Janie's snubbing of her?

3. What does Janie say about the horizon at the end of her story?

4. Why does Tea Cake want Janie to work in the fields with him?

5. Describe Janie's reaction when Tea Cake beats her.

6. What makes the townspeople so mad about Janie seeing Tea Cake?

7. What are Janie's suspicions about Tea Cake?

8. How does Tea Cake die?

9. Why do the men get angry at Mrs. Turner?

10. How is the hurricane a metaphor for Janie's life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how and why Janie is consistently disappointed throughout her life. Which characters disappoint her? What were her initial expectations of these characters, and how do they let her down?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss how the novel and Janie's story could be viewed as an inspiration to women.

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