ENG-102 READING QUIZ

ENG 102: English Composition II

Mrs. Saitta-Ringger Name:__________________

Quiz: Toni Cade Bambara, James Joyce, and John Updike

“The Lesson,” by Toni Cade Bambara

1. Who is Miss Moore, and why does she feel responsible for educating the children in this neighborhood?

2. Why does the narrator initially not understand Miss Moore’s declaration that they are “all poor and live in the slums”?

3. What reaction does Sylvia imagine receiving from her mother if she asked for “a $35 birthday clown”?

4. How do Sylvia and Sugar end up with an unexpected four dollars?

“Araby,” by James Joyce

5. Describe the narrator’s feelings for Mangan’s sister. How would you characterize this relationship?

6. When Mangan’s sister says that she cannot go to Araby (the bazaar), what does the narrator say that he will do for her?

7. How do the train and the “young lady” at the bazaar become obstacles between the narrator and “the purpose of [his] journey”?

“A & P,” by John Updike

8. Why can’t the narrator take his eyes off the three girls who walk into the A & P?

9. Who is Stokesie, and what distinguishes him from Sammy (the narrator)?

10. What does Sammy announce to Lengel, and why does he make this decision? At the end of the story, do you think that Sammy regrets his decision?

Extra credit: Describe the relationship between the adults and children in these three stories. Will Sammy, Sylvia, and the narrator of “Araby” grow up to be similar to or different from the adults in their lives? Refer briefly to each character.