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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 Audre do to her first boyfriend when she begins college?

2. What does Audre have a deep need for even as a young child?

3. What is the name of the author's first grade teacher?

4. How long does Audre say her first encounter with her first playmate lasted?

5. What city does Audre describe the layout of in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Audre's mother believe is happening to Gennie to cause her to commit suicide?

2. How is Audre's relationship with Peter described in the book?

3. What is the nature of the results of the aptitude test Audre takes in high school?

4. How is Gennie's relationship with her mother Louisa described in the book?

5. How does Audre react to Gennie's death in the book?

6. What does Audre do after being molested by a comic book storeowner?

7. What does Audre do when she plays with a little girl named Toni in the book?

8. How is Audre's poetry writing described when she first joins The Branded?

9. How does Audre learn to read before going to school?

10. What role does Audre's love for making up stories have in her becoming a writer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel's genre offers many points of discussion with both its autobiographical and mythological material.

1) What aspects of the book appear to be purely autobiographical regarding the author's life?

2) What reasons would the author have for using mythological facts within the book alongside her personal accounts, does this help fill in gaps in the text?

3) How is the inclusion of both autobiographical and mythological methods in the book able to create a more well rounded portrayal of the author's life journey?

Essay Topic 2

The theme of lesbianism is an important one in the book and helps define the protagonist more clearly.

1) What impact does Audre's poetry writing have on her ability to be open about her lesbianism for the first time, especially considering her relations with The Branded at the time?

2) What is telling of the evolution of Audre's lesbianism based on her relationships with Gennie and Muriel?

3) What role does Audre play in the New York lesbian scene and what does this community mean to her?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the concept of change that is presented in the book through the portrayal of various historical, political, and social situations. How does the author document the literal changes she found in these areas in the United States alongside the figurative changes in her own life?

(see the answer keys)

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