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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. Who tells Darling she abandoned her home, leading Darling to smash her computer, in "Writing on the Wall"?

2. Where has TK gone in "My America"?

3. Where does Aunt Fostalina go after hanging up the phone with the saleswoman in "Angel"?

4. Who is the owner of the house that Darling cleans for in "My America"?

5. What color is the mother of the bereaved wearing 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 would you describe the communications between Darling and her friends back home in "Angel"?

3. How is the setting of Shadybrook nursing home described?

4. What does Aunt Fostalina obsess over throughout the novel? Why?

5. What game do the children play after the funeral in "For Real"? How is the game described?

6. What is the relationship between the groom and Aunt Fostalina in "Wedding"?

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

8. Whose car have Darling and her friends taken in “Hitting Crossroads"? Why?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the motifs of religion, spirituality, and superstition in the novel. How would you compare the religious beliefs of Mother of Bones to those of Aunt Fostalina or Darling? What are examples in the text of rituals performed for superstitious reasons?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the character of Darling as the novel's protagonist. How old is Darling when the novel begins? What are the circumstances of Darling's life like? How do Darling's circumstances change in the course of the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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