Quiz Memphis Tara M. Stringfellow

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow: 20-Question Full-Book Quiz

Test your knowledge of Tara M. Stringfellow's Memphis with this 20-question quiz. The questions span the full novel, from the 1937 flood to Joan's 2003 prison visit, and cover plot, character motivation, themes, and synthesis. An answer key with brief explanations follows the quiz. For deeper analysis, see the study guide, questions and answers, and ending explained.

If you need to review, the chapter outline and evidence are your best friends—but try the quiz first!

Good luck.

(Answers are at the bottom—no peeking.)

Quiz Questions

Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)

  1. In what year does the novel open with Joan, Miriam, and Mya arriving at the North family home in Memphis?

  • A) 1988

  • B) 1995

  • C) 1997

  • D) 2001

  1. What does Miriam learn about Jax at the 1995 Marine Corps Ball that deeply affects her decision to leave him?

  • A) He has been promoted to major.

  • B) He has been having an affair with his secretary.

  • C) He threw a grenade into a room containing children during the Gulf War.

  • D) He plans to move the family to Chicago.

  1. What happens to Myron North, Hazel's husband, in 1955?

  • A) He dies in a car accident.

  • B) He is killed in the Korean War.

  • C) He is murdered by fellow police officers.

  • D) He dies of a heart attack.

  1. What does Miss Dawn tell Joan to bury in the backyard?

  • A) A photograph of Derek

  • B) A lock of hair

  • C) A comb belonging to Derek

  • D) A red shoe

  1. What event interrupts Joan's U.S. History class in 2001?

  • A) A fire alarm

  • B) A drive-by shooting

  • C) The September 11 attacks, specifically a plane hitting the Pentagon

  • D) A student protest

  1. What is Derek's sentence for the two counts of first-degree murder?

  • A) Death penalty

  • B) 20 years to life

  • C) Life without parole

  • D) 15 years

  1. What does Joan do with the comb after she digs it up on Christmas night?

  • A) She burns it.

  • B) She buries it again.

  • C) She spits on it.

  • D) She gives it to Mya.

  1. What does Miriam find in Derek's room in 2003 that reveals Joan's artistic achievement?

  • A) A sketchbook

  • B) Ten large paintings of neighborhood women

  • C) A letter from the Royal College of Art

  • D) A quilt made by Hazel

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

  1. Why does August give up her dream of attending Rhodes College?

  • A) She cannot afford tuition.

  • B) She becomes pregnant with Derek and later chooses to care for him.

  • C) She prefers hairdressing.

  • D) Her mother forbids her.

  1. Why does Miriam decide to become a nurse at age forty?

  • A) To honor her mother's memory

  • B) To provide for her daughters without Jax's money

  • C) To escape the beauty salon

  • D) To follow in August's footsteps

  1. Why does Joan initially refuse to talk about Derek?

  • A) She is angry at her mother.

  • B) She is ashamed of her family.

  • C) She is traumatized by his assault.

  • D) She wants to protect Mya.

  1. Why does Hazel spit in Officer Casey Barnes's face?

  • A) He insults her pregnancy.

  • B) She knows he and other officers murdered Myron.

  • C) He tries to arrest her.

  • D) He uses a racial slur.

  1. Why does August agree to help Joan hide her drawings in Derek's room?

  • A) To keep them from Miriam

  • B) To support Joan's artistic ambitions and persuade Miriam

  • C) To spite Derek

  • D) To use them as evidence

Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)

  1. What does the yellow door of the North house symbolize throughout the novel?

  • A) Wealth and status

  • B) Home, safety, and family legacy

  • C) The church

  • D) The past

  1. What does the Tree of Life quilt represent?

  • A) Religious devotion

  • B) Family heritage, resilience, and continuity

  • C) The beauty of nature

  • D) A specific historical event

  1. What does the Shelby Mustang symbolize for Jax?

  • A) His love for Miriam

  • B) His pride, legacy, and identity

  • C) His military rank

  • D) His escape from Chicago

  1. What does the comb represent in the novel?

  • A) Hair care and beauty

  • B) Revenge, magic, and trauma

  • C) A tool for grooming

  • D) A gift from Miss Dawn

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

  1. How does the novel connect the personal trauma of the North women to larger historical events? Provide one example.
  • (Short answer)
  1. Compare how Miriam and August respond to domestic violence in their lives.
  • (Short answer)
  1. What role does art play in Joan's healing and identity?
  • (Short answer)

Answer Key

1. B) 1995

The novel opens with Joan, Miriam, and Mya arriving at the North house in 1995, as described in Chapter 1.

2. C) He threw a grenade into a room containing children during the Gulf War.

At the ball, Mazz tells Miriam about the incident in Khafji, which horrifies her and contributes to her decision to leave.

3. C) He is murdered by fellow police officers.

Hazel learns that Myron's squad car was found abandoned and his body pulled from the Mississippi; she realizes he was killed by his own colleagues.

4. C) A comb belonging to Derek.

Miss Dawn instructs Joan to bury something of Derek's—like a comb—at midnight.

5. C) The September 11 attacks, specifically a plane hitting the Pentagon.

Mya appears in the classroom doorway and reports that planes are crashing and one has hit their father's workplace.

6. C) Life without parole.

The jury convicts Derek in thirty minutes, and August pleads for life without parole at sentencing.

7. C) She spits on it.

After digging up the comb on Christmas night, Joan spits on it, symbolizing her rejection of revenge.

8. B) Ten large paintings of neighborhood women.

Miriam opens Derek's room and finds ten large pieces of Joan's artwork depicting women from the community.

9. B) She becomes pregnant with Derek and later chooses to care for him.

August gives up college after becoming pregnant and later loses and regains custody of Derek, sacrificing her dreams.

10. B) To provide for her daughters without Jax's money.

Miriam tells August she plans to return to school to become a nurse so she can support her girls independently.

11. C) She is traumatized by his assault.

Joan's refusal to discuss Derek stems from the sexual assault he committed when she was three.

12. B) She knows he and other officers murdered Myron.

Hazel spits in Barnes's face after he delivers the news of Myron's death, recognizing it as murder.

13. B) To support Joan's artistic ambitions and persuade Miriam.

August agrees to help hide the drawings and to convince Miriam to allow Joan to pursue art.

14. B) Home, safety, and family legacy.

The yellow door recurs as a symbol of the North family's sanctuary and enduring presence.

15. B) Family heritage, resilience, and continuity.

The Tree of Life quilt, made by great-grandmother Della, represents the family's artistic and emotional legacy.

16. B) His pride, legacy, and identity.

Jax's Shelby Mustang is his prized possession, symbolizing his status and self-image.

17. B) Revenge, magic, and trauma.

The comb is tied to Joan's act of revenge and the folk magic Miss Dawn suggests, as well as the trauma of Derek's assault.

18. Example: The novel links Hazel's grief over Myron's murder to the Emmett Till lynching, as she gives birth to Miriam on the same day the news breaks.

The personal and political are intertwined throughout the narrative.

19. Miriam initially endures Jax's abuse, then leaves him and rebuilds her life; August confronts abuse directly, tackling Jax when he chokes Miriam, and later channels her anger into protecting her family.

Both women respond with resilience, but Miriam seeks escape while August fights back.

20. Art is Joan's primary means of processing trauma and asserting her identity.

Her sketches and paintings allow her to express rage, connect with her community, and ultimately earn a place at the Royal College of Art, fulfilling her artistic calling.

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