Quiz Kin Tayari Jones

Kin by Tayari Jones: A 20-Question Reading Companion Quiz

About This Quiz

This quiz is designed to help you recall and reflect on the key elements of Kin by Tayari Jones. Before you begin, you may want to review the book summary, the questions and answers page, or the ending explained for additional context.

The quiz is divided into four sections: plot and sequence, character motivation, theme and symbol, and synthesis. Answers are provided after the questions.

Section 1: Plot and Sequence (8 Questions)

Questions 1–8 test your recall of what happened and when. Formats: multiple choice or short answer.

  1. At the start of the novel, where does Annie’s mother Hattie Lee live?

    • A. In Memphis
    • B. In Honeysuckle
    • C. Nobody knows; she left when Annie was a baby
    • D. In Atlanta

  2. Why is Vernice thrown off the bus on her way to Spelman College?

    • A. She argued with the driver about her ticket
    • B. She sat one seat ahead of the colored section
    • C. She was caught stealing from a passenger
    • D. She refused to give up her seat for a white passenger

  3. At Lulabelle’s brothel, what do Annie and Babydoll do in exchange for lodging?

    • A. Cook meals
    • B. Wash sheets
    • C. Work as prostitutes
    • D. Wait tables

  4. What does Bobo witness in the lean‑to shack that he later calls a ghost?

    • A. A white man assaulting a woman who then vanished
    • B. His dead mother
    • C. A demonic figure
    • D. Hattie Lee’s spirit

  5. Vernice’s roommate Joette becomes engaged to a man named Thomas Donaldson Jr., but later the wedding is cancelled. What does Joette propose to Vernice instead?

    • A. That they move to Washington, D.C., together
    • B. That they open a business together
    • C. That she help Vernice get an abortion
    • D. That they run away to New York

  6. After the police raid the laundromat where Annie, Vernice, and Babydoll are waiting for an abortion, what does Vernice do to help Annie?

    • A. She drives Annie to a hospital
    • B. She gives Annie her car, cash, and three pinches of dirt
    • C. She asks her mother‑in‑law to pay for the abortion
    • D. She calls the police to report the assault

  7. At the end of the novel, who performs the illegal abortion on Annie?

    • A. Lulabelle herself, using a pill
    • B. A doctor summoned by Lulabelle
    • C. Annie does it herself with a coat hanger
    • D. Babydoll

  8. Vernice’s secret about her past that she finally confesses to Franklin is:

    • A. That she had a child out of wedlock
    • B. That she was involved with Joette romantically
    • C. That she stole money from Annie
    • D. That she lied about her mother’s death

Section 2: Character Motivation (5 Questions)

Questions 9–13 explore why characters act as they do. Formats: multiple choice or short answer.

  1. Why does Annie take a job at The Den in Honeysuckle?

    • A. To support her grandmother
    • B. To earn money to find her mother in Memphis
    • C. To get close to Clyde
    • D. To escape from Niecy

  2. Why does Vernice refuse Joette’s offer to run away together?

    • A. She is afraid of Joette’s anger
    • B. She wants a conventional family and is committed to Franklin
    • C. She has no money
    • D. She secretly dislikes Joette

  3. Why does Lulabelle refuse to let Annie stay at the brothel after they leave for Memphis?

    • A. She is angry that Annie is pregnant
    • B. She hopes Annie will never have to return to that life
    • C. She needs the room for another girl
    • D. She thinks Annie stole from her

  4. Why does Hattie Lee leave a message for Annie with coins and a message for Granny?

    • A. She wants to reconcile with Annie
    • B. She warns Annie that some things cannot be fixed
    • C. She asks Annie for money
    • D. She wants Annie to come live with her

  5. Why does Mrs. McHenry warn Vernice to build a “moat” between herself and Annie’s troubles?

    • A. She is protecting the McHenry family’s reputation
    • B. She dislikes Annie
    • C. She wants Vernice to focus on her marriage
    • D. She is jealous of Vernice’s friendship

Section 3: Theme and Symbol (4 Questions)

Questions 14–17 ask you to interpret themes, symbols, or motifs. Formats: short answer or multiple choice.

  1. The epigraph of Kin is from a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks. What central theme does it introduce?

    • A. The inevitability of death
    • B. Interdependence and mutual responsibility
    • C. The beauty of nature
    • D. The importance of education

  2. What does the Ruby Falls story, which Mrs. Ola Mae tells Vernice, symbolize?

    • A. The danger of secrets
    • B. The hidden violence beneath calm surfaces, especially grief
    • C. The need for travel
    • D. The power of waterfalls

  3. Bobo’s ghostly vision of a woman being assaulted while he does nothing represents:

    • A. His fear of the supernatural
    • B. His guilt and moral failure as a witness to violence
    • C. The legacy of slavery
    • D. His sexual frustration

  4. Why does Vernice give Annie three pinches of dirt before she sends her away?

    • A. As a spell for protection and safe return home
    • B. To remind her of her roots in Honeysuckle
    • C. Both A and B; it combines hoodoo tradition with a tangible link to Vernice
    • D. To curse Lulabelle

Section 4: Synthesis (3 Questions)

Questions 18–20 require you to connect ideas across the novel. Formats: short answer.

  1. How do the Green Book and the bus incident on Vernice’s trip to Spelman illustrate the theme of segregation and survival?

  2. Explain how Annie’s search for her mother Hattie Lee shapes her relationship with Bobo. How does this search ultimately affect her decisions?

  3. At the end of the novel, Vernice chooses to marry Franklin and leave Joette behind. Do you think this decision is an act of self‑preservation or betrayal? Use evidence from the novel.

Answer Key and Explanations

Section 1: Plot and Sequence

  1. C. Nobody knows; she left when Annie was a baby. Hattie Lee abandoned Annie shortly after birth, and her whereabouts are unknown for most of the novel. (Chapter 2, Evidence chapter-0003-chunk-0004)

  2. B. She sat one seat ahead of the colored section. Vernice accidentally sits in a whites‑only seat on the Trailways bus, leading the driver to eject her. (Chapter 7, Evidence chapter-0008-chunk-0004)

  3. B. Wash sheets. Annie and Babydoll do laundry for Lulabelle in exchange for room and board. (Chapter 6)

  4. A. A white man assaulting a woman who then vanished. Bobo describes seeing a spirit (later revealed to be Lulabelle’s mother Hortense) undergoing assault, but when he returns the shack is empty. (Chapter 10, Evidence chapter-0011-chunk-0003)

  5. A. That they move to Washington, D.C., together. Joette suggests they leave Atlanta and start a new life together. (Chapter 27, Evidence chapter-0028-chunk-0003)

  6. B. She gives Annie her car, cash, and three pinches of dirt. Vernice writes a letter instructing Annie to flee before dawn. (Chapter 37)

  7. B. A doctor summoned by Lulabelle. Lulabelle arranges for a doctor to perform the illegal abortion at the brothel. (Chapter 44, Evidence chapter-0044-chunk-0005)

  8. B. That she was involved with Joette romantically. Vernice finally tells Franklin the truth about her relationship with Joette. (Chapter 43, Evidence chapter-0044-chunk-0005)

Section 2: Character Motivation

  1. B. To earn money to find her mother in Memphis. Annie’s secret goal in working at The Den is to save enough to travel to Memphis and locate Hattie Lee. (Chapter 2)

  2. B. She wants a conventional family and is committed to Franklin. Vernice desires marriage, children, and the safety of the McHenry family, and she sees no future with Joette. (Chapter 23, Evidence chapter-0024-chunk-0002)

  3. B. She hopes Annie will never have to return to that life. Lulabelle kisses Annie goodbye and says, “I hope I never see you again,” because she wants her to succeed in leaving the brothel. (Chapter 12, Evidence chapter-0013-chunk-0002)

  4. B. She warns Annie that some things cannot be fixed. Hattie tells Annie that not all wounds can be healed by a reunion. (Chapter 40)

  5. A. She is protecting the McHenry family’s reputation. Mrs. McHenry advises Vernice to distance herself from Annie’s scandalous pregnancy to preserve their social standing. (Chapter 34)

Section 3: Theme and Symbol

  1. B. Interdependence and mutual responsibility. The epigraph from Brooks declares that people are each other’s business, magnitude, and bond. (Chapter 1)

  2. B. The hidden violence beneath calm surfaces, especially grief. Ruby Falls appears peaceful but has dangerous currents, mirroring Vernice’s internal grief. (Chapter 41)

  3. B. His guilt and moral failure as a witness to violence. Bobo feels he failed as a man and a soul by not intervening. (Chapter 10, Evidence chapter-0011-chunk-0003)

  4. C. Both A and B; it combines hoodoo tradition with a tangible link to Vernice. The dirt is a protective charm and a piece of home to carry. (Chapter 37)

Section 4: Synthesis

  1. The Green Book helps Black travelers like Annie, Clyde, and Babydoll find safe lodging in the segregated South, but it does not prevent humiliation or danger. Vernice’s bus incident shows the violent enforcement of Jim Crow: she is physically assaulted and stranded by a gas station attendant for a seating mistake. Both episodes illustrate the constant threat of racial violence and the resourcefulness required for survival.

  2. Annie’s search for Hattie Lee drives her to take risks: she works at The Den, follows Clyde to Memphis, and refuses to leave the Elektra bar because she hopes Hattie might walk in. This obsession strains her relationship with Bobo, who feels neglected and fears she is losing touch. When Hattie finally appears but offers only a distant encounter, Annie must confront the limit of reconciliation. Her fixation also delays her commitment to Bobo; after Hattie’s death is reported (and then revealed as a lie), Annie nearly loses him to another woman.

  3. Answers may vary, but strong responses cite Vernice’s own words: she wants a conventional family and fears being alone in the world without Annie. She also tells Joette that “through a lot” and needs stability. While she hurts Joette deeply, Vernice’s choice reflects her survival instinct and the weight of class and respectability. The decision is both self‑preservation (securing a future as a McHenry) and a betrayal of her intimate bond with Joette. The novel’s final chapters show Vernice still grappling with this loss.

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