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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 does Shirley have with her when she visits Yolanda?

2. What horrifies Yolanda about the way Aunt Tiny cuts Yolanda's mother's hair?

3. What does Yolanda snack on during the car trip?

4. What does Yolanda find in her search at the park?

5. What does Yolanda suggest to her mother about Andrew?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why doesn't there seem to be any way back stage?

2. Describe Yolanda's family's first night with Aunt Tiny.

3. What does Momma want Yolanda to study in college and what are Yolanda's ambitions?

4. How does Yolanda explain all her questions to the security guards?

5. Why is Yolanda unable to listen as the concert opens?

6. Why does Yolanda volunteer to reserve her family's seats for the concert that evening?

7. Who admires Yolanda standing up to Romulus, and what is Yolanda's response to his admiration?

8. What happens that gives Yolanda an idea about how to get back stage?

9. Why does Yolanda send Shirley away in a cruel manner?

10. What "epiphany" does Yolanda have when she is at the park?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss one of the following:

1. Define irony in literary terms. Discuss the irony of the situation of how Yolanda is prejudice towards a white girl and thinks stereotypically when most people think of racism in the United States as being white prejudice towards blacks.

2. Define symbolism in literary terms. Discuss the use and meaning of five symbols you choose to analyze from "Yolonda's Genius". What do they symbolize? Is the symbolism obvious? Effective? Does the symbolism contribute to the enjoyment of reading?

3. Discuss five literary devices that occur in "Yolonda's Genius" and how they are used. Are they effective? Do they add or detract from the reading of the book? Why or why not. Some possible techniques: allusion, connotation, denouement, dialogue, flashback, figurative language, motif, metaphor, narrator, point of view, simile, mood, and puns.

Essay Topic 2

Yolanda is eleven throughout much of the novel. Discuss the following:

1. What are some ways that Yolanda seems like an average eleven year old? Give examples and why you say her activities are average teen activities.

2. What are some ways that Yolanda seems older than her age of 11? Give specific examples and discuss whether they seem consistent with the character of Yolanda as she is developed throughout the book.

3. Do you think most eleven year old girls would look out for their six-year-old brother in the ways Yolanda does? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Characters are an important part of what makes "Yolonda's Genius" interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Yolanda. What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? How does she contribute to the plot? Is she a sympathetic character? Is she always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

2. Thoroughly discuss and analyze the character of Andrew. What are his strengths? His weaknesses? How does he contribute to the plot? Is he a sympathetic character? Is he ever likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

3. Thoroughly discuss and analyze the character of Shirley Piper. What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? How does she contribute to the plot? Is she a sympathetic character? Is she ever likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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