The Sun Parlor
By Dorothy West
Mr. De Vicente
20 Points
Total
1. What is the focus of the reflective essay “The
Sun Parlor”?
A. the life of a little girl named Sis
B. a special room in the author’s home
C. the illness of the author’s favorite aunt
D. the importance of having a beautiful home
2. At the beginning of “The Sun Parlor,” West
states that this “is a tale with a moral.” What is
the moral, or lesson, she teaches in this essay?
A. It is important to know that people listen.
B. People cannot stop the process of aging.
C. One must have a beautifully decorated home to
impress one’s neighbors.
D. Respect for children is more important than
pride in one’s home or
belongings.
3. How do visitors react to West’s childhood
home?
A. They think it feels very sad.
B. They think it is quite beautiful.
C. They are horrified at the awful mess.
D. They feel it must be a child’s paradise.
4. Each section of “The Sun Parlor” has a main idea.
What is the main point of the section about West’s
childhood home?
A. The author recalls that there were many visitors to
her childhood home.
B. A house belongs to the children who live there, not
the other way around.
C. West and her siblings were terrified that their
mother would throw them out.
D. Children can destroy a home and its contents if
they are allowed to run loose.
5. In “The Sun Parlor,” when does Sis visit the
family’s cottage in the Highlands of Oak Bluffs?
A. when she becomes very ill
B. just once, at Christmastime
C. during her summer breaks from school
D. only after she becomes a mother herself
6. How does Sis react to the sun parlor when she
first sees it?
A. She runs in excitedly to bounce on the
furniture.
B. She runs right past it on her way to play
outside.
C. She says that it is the most beautiful room she
has ever seen.
D. She says that it looks like a stuffy and boring
room for grown-ups.
7. Why does West tell Sis not to play in the sun
parlor?
A. because she had just painted it
B. because it is a frightening place
C. because Sis would rather play outside
D. because a sick aunt is using the room
8. Why does West’s aunt dislike staying in the sun
parlor?
A. It depresses her because someone died there.
B. She cannot sleep because the sun is so bright.
C. She feels separated from the rest of the family.
D. It is difficult to climb the stairs to get there.
9. How does West feel about the sun parlor after
her aunt passes away?
A. It makes her sad, so she closes it up.
B. She becomes angry every time she sees it.
C. It reminds her of happy memories of her aunt.
D. She still does not want Sis to play in it.
10. What effect does West fear her actions will
have on Sis?
A. Sis will never want to return to the cottage.
B. Sis might sneak into the room and destroy it.
C. Sis will think that West is a stuffy, selfish, and
cruel woman.
D. Sis might think that rooms are more important
than children.
11. Which of the following details most clearly
supports the main idea of “The Sun Parlor”?
A. Sis is one of West’s mother’s favorite children.
B. West regrets not letting Sis play in the sun
parlor.
C. West’s generation becomes the oldest in the
family.
D. West’s aunt keeps a secret from the rest of the
family.
12. What makes “The Sun Parlor” a reflective
essay?
A. It tries to persuade readers to take action.
B. Its purpose is to inform readers about a topic.
C. It focuses on the writer’s personal experiences.
D. It is a fictional story meant to entertain readers.
13. Which of the following is an example of a
person who is subordinate to others?
A. a new military recruit
B. the owner of a retail store
C. the principal of a high school
D. an emergency room doctor
14. Which of the following is the best antonym for
the word lavished?
A. pampered
B. mistreated
C. cured
D. withheld
15. Which of the following sentences contains a
predicate adjective? Hint: the subject
compliment that is an adjective
A. West painted the room.
B. The sun parlor is special.
C. It has seven large windows.
D. Sis wants to play in the room.
16. Short Response- 2.5 Points- Three
Sentence Response
In an short response, explain why West felt
protective of her sun parlor. Then state whether
you would have forbidden Sis from
playing in the sun parlor. Why or why not?
17. Short Response- 2.5 Points- Three
Sentence Response
Thinking About the Big Question: What
kind of knowledge changes our lives?
In “The Sun Parlor,” Dorothy West sees Sis’s great
disappointment at not being allowed to play in
the parlor.
What lesson does West learn from this incident?
Provide examples from “The Sun Parlor” to
support your response.