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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 is the name of the groom in "Wedding"?

2. From what narrative perspective is "How They Lived" related?

3. Where is Marina from?

4. What does Darling say the last book she read was in “Hitting Crossroads"?

5. Who is the mother of the bereaved at the funeral in "For Real"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens in the exchange between Darling and Chipo in "Writing on the Wall"?

2. How has Uncle Kojo's demeanor changed in “My America"? Why?

3. How does Darling describe her impressions of America in “Destroyedmichygen”?

4. What "close call" do Darling and her friends encounter in the car in "Hitting Crossroads"?

5. How would you compare the settings of Detroit and Kalamazoo in We Need New Names?

6. How would you describe the household where Darling works as a housecleaner in "My America"?

7. How does the narrative style in “How They Lived” stand apart from the other chapters in the novel?

8. For what reasons does Darling discover she cannot visit home in "Angel"?

9. What is illuminated through Darling's conversation with the white woman in the restroom in "Wedding"?

10. Where is Darling living in “Destroyedmichygen”? With whom does she live?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the characters of Godknows, Stina, and Bastard in the narrative. How old are these characters when they are introduced? How are they different from one another? What are their relationships like with the protagonist?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the character of Mother of Bones in the novel. What is Mother of Bones's relationship to Darling? What activities is this character associated with? What is Mother of Bones's status in the community?

Essay Topic 3

What events led to Darling's family living in a shack in Paradise? What was their home like before? How does Darling recall the events surrounding losing her childhood home?

(see the answer keys)

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