Name:
Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals
Class Period:
Study Guide and Vocabulary for Chapters 11-18
Directions: First: find the word in the text (the page number has been provided!) Second: When you find the
word, please write the full sentence in which the word appears. **We are asking for the quotation, which
means that quotation marks, capitalization, punctuation, and exact words are required. ** Third: Write YOUR
OWN definition of the word based on how it is used in the sentence (you may have to look at the sentences
before and after as well). Fourth: Write the dictionary definition of the word. You MUST follow this order!
1. Fatalist (131): ____________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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2. Adamant (132): ___________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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3. Barrage (142): ____________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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4. Insidious (143): ___________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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5. Melee (149): _____________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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6. Incite (158): _____________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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7. Retaliation (162): _________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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8. Inconsolable (190): ________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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9. Vicarious (195): __________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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10. Immaculate (199): ________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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11. Speculate (207): __________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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12. Accolades (210): __________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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13. Deity (218): ______________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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14. Tenacious (220): __________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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15. Enclave (220): ____________________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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16. Interdependence (222): ____________________________________________________________________
Sentence in context: _______________________________________________________________________
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Chapter 11 Questions:
1.) What meeting does Melba have to go to? (p. 125)
2.) At first, the meeting seems to go well. How does Melba later know it did not go as well as she thought? (p.
127)
3.) How does Minnijean appear to be handling the issues at school? What does she want to do? What about
the other students – how are they doing? (p. 130-132)
4.) How does Minnijean get “tricked?” (p. 134)
5.) Melba writes in her diary about Danny’s departure. What does she write, and what is her mood and tone?
(p. 139)
6.) What statement does Melba later regret? Why did she originally say this? (p. 137)
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Chapter 12 Questions:
1.) What gave Melba a feeling of power and proved to her she could defend herself? (p. 142)
2.) Why hadn’t Melba been returning Vince’s calls? (p. 144)
3.) Why does no one show up for Melba’s party? What are her “friends” doing instead? (p. 145)
4.) What happens to Minnijean in the cafeteria? Why doesn’t Melba help her? (p. 148-149)
5.) What does Minnijean do to get applause from the café workers, and why are the segregationists happy about
it? (p. 150)
Chapter 13 Questions:
1.) Why doesn’t Melba make a big deal out of her “grown-up” Christmas party to Conrad? (p. 152)
2.) Who comes by on Christmas to see the family? What rumors have been swirling about him? (p. 154)
3.) What does Melba ask God for in her diary? (p. 155)
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4.) What does Melba’s family decide to “live with?” (p. 156)
Chapter 14 Questions:
1.) What happens to Minnijean when she returns to school? (p. 158)
2.) How does Grandma respond to Melba’s wish to be dead? (p. 160)
3.) After getting some more advice from Grandma, how does Melba respond to taunting boys in the hallway?
How do they react? (p. 165)
4.) What happens to Minnijean – where does she move to and why? How do both she and Melba feel? (p. 167168)
5.) Who is Andy? Who is Link and how does he save Melba from Andy? (p. 169, 172)
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Chapter 15 Questions:
1.) Why were Grandma India and Mother Lois so upset about Melba driving Link’s car? (p. 175)
2.) After Melba returns the car, does Link acknowledge her in the halls? How? (p. 177)
3.) How does Melba handle her attackers? What does she start saying to all of them? (p. 181)
4.) After reading Chapter 15, do you think Link is a decent guy? Explain.
Chapter 16 Questions:
1.) What does Link tell Melba on the phone? What does he tell her to do/not to do? How does he know these
things? (p. 184)
2.) What does Melba say she wants to wear for Easter? What is her family’s reaction to this? (p. 187)
3.) Link soon calls Melba and is very upset. Why is he angry? What does he want Melba to do? (p. 190)
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4.) Who is Link close to that may show why he is helping Melba? (p. 191)
5.) Why is Melba frightened about Harry Lemley? (p. 194)
Chapter 17 Questions:
1.) What change does Melba notice about Mrs. Huckaby? (p. 195-196)
2.) Where does Link take Melba? (p. 197)
3.) What is Nana’s reaction to seeing Melba? Why? (p. 200)
4.) What help does Link need from Melba? Why? (LT 5) (p. 200)
5.) What news does Mother Lois tell the family at the end of Chapter 17? What do you think will happen to
Melba and her family? (p. 203)
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Chapter 18 Questions:
1.) What ultimatum was Mother Lois given to keep her job? What would you do if you were Mother Lois or
Melba? (p. 206)
2.) What does Mother Lois decide to do in efforts to retain her job? Would you have done the same? (p. 206)
3.) What else does Mother Lois do to gain support to keep her job? What happens? (p. 209-210)
4.) According the newspapers, what did Ernie’s high school diploma cost? According to Melba, what did Ernie’s
high school diploma cost? (p. 216)
5.) Where does Melba meet Link? What does he want her to do? (p. 217)
6.) What happened in September of 1959? Where did Melba go? (p. 219)
7.) When Central High School reopened its doors to integration in September 1960, which two students
returned to graduate? (p. 220)
8.) Who does Melba marry by the end of the novel? Does this surprise you? Why, or why not? (p. 221)
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