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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. Which of the following does Nigel add to his grandmother’s fried chicken mix?

2. Which of the following adjectives does the narrator apply to Nigel?

3. By which of the following names is the Tiko also known?

4. Which of the following kinds of flowers does the narrator note are present in his neighborhood?

5. On which of the following is Octavia’s mansion?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jo Jo describe Polaire to the narrator when he first meets her?

2. What functions in the community does the narrator ascribe to the Chicken Coop?

3. What signs of shabbiness does the narrator note about the Tiko?

4. How does the narrator note that Penny and his mother regarded each other initially?

5. What inspirations does the narrator cite for his dancing at Octavia’s mansion?

6. What does the narrator recall of Tyrod’s life with his son?

7. What reason does the narrator give for misliking going to court, despite his skill therein?

8. What after-school activities is Nigel involved in at the beginning of the novel?

9. What reasons does the narrator express for seeking Jo Jo’s help with Octavia’s campaign?

10. How does the narrator report that Dinah pranked him early in her career?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What function does the narrator’s description of his grandfather (137) have in the novel? How is that function achieved?

Essay Topic 2

At several points in the novel, mention is made of the peculiarity of having and enjoying paper books and documents. What is to be made of the repeated mention, based on the text, and why is it to be made thereof?

Essay Topic 3

If there is a villain in the novel—a focal “bad” character—who is it most likely to be, and why?

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