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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. Where does Basil live at the end of the chapter?

2. "Or crust over like ____________________?"

3. The author challenges the reader to think in terms of ________________ when encountering the women's stories.

4. "Maybe it just _____________ like a heavy load."

5. What was Mattie doing when Butch Fuller flirted with her as a girl?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the possibilities for a dream deferred as asked in Langston Hughes' poem?

2. How does Mattie show more maturity even though she is younger than Etta?

3. Explain how Basil is a product of his upbringing even though Mattie thought she was raising him the right way.

4. How does Basil symbolize most of the men encountered by the women of Brewster Place?

5. On what grounds do Ben and Lorraine form an unlikely friendship?

6. Explain Kiswana's situation and how it contrasts with her family background.

7. What literary elements does the author use throughout the book?

8. Who is Etta Mae Johnson?

9. Has Kiswana let her daydreaming run to the extreme? Explain.

10. How has Mattie evolved to become the wise, loving matriarch of Brewster Place?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Etta longs for respectability yet sleeps with a traveling minister on the night she meets him. Did Etta think she was putting her heart in a safe place? What is the irony in this situation? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

One recurring theme in the story is that of babies and the next generation. Cite at least three examples that support this theme and explain why they do.

Essay Topic 3

One of the prevalent themes in the book is making the best of the situations you get in life. Cite at least three examples that support this theme and explain why they do.

(see the answer keys)

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