SparkNotes: Dicey's Song: Quiz

Why is Dicey angry when Gram tells her she is too old to go around without a shirt on?

(A) She thinks Gram is trying to boss her around

(B) Dicey honestly does not think there is any reason she should wear a shirt

(C) Dicey realizes that her body is changing but does not want to acknowledge the fact

(D) She thinks Gram is being sexist

Why does Sammy at first resist the idea of being adopted by Gram?

(A) He still thinks Gram might be crazy

(B) He hopes Momma will get better and take them back

(C) He knows that Gram and Momma had a bad relationship

(D) He thinks Dicey is a better guardian than Gram

Why does Dicey become angry when Gram announces Mr. Lingerle wants to give Maybeth lessons?

(A) She thinks Mr. Lingerle, like Maybeth's other teachers, wants to give Maybeth remedial lessons

(B) She thinks he is asking for too much money

(C) She thinks Maybeth does not have time for music lessons

(D) She thinks Gram wants her to give up her allowance to help pay for the lessons

Why does Dicey dislike her classmates?

(A) She thinks they are predictable and shallow

(B) They tease her about Gram

(C) They tease her about Momma

(D) They ignore Dicey and sneer at her

Why does Dicey stop to talk to Jeff?

(A) She likes his sense of humor

(B) He is so handsome, she cannot resist talking to him

(C) Because he is so charming and charismatic

(D) Because she enjoys his music

Why does Dicey ignore Sammy while she is working on the boat?

(A) She thinks if she ignores him he will stop bothering her

(B) She is trying to punish him for his bad behavior at school

(C) She thinks Sammy does not really have any problems, as he is not fighting at school

(D) She wants to do the whole boat herself

Why does Gram forbid the children to go into the attic?

(A) She is afraid they will hurt themselves

(B) She thinks rules are important

(C) She is not ready to share that part of her past with them

(D) She thinks they will get dirty in the attic

Why does James turn in a different report than the one he shared with Dicey?

(A) He thought the first one was not good enough

(B) He thought the first one was too boring

(C) He gave the first report to his friend Toby to copy

(D) He thought the report was too good and would make him look too different

Why is Sammy being so good in school?

(A) He has turned over a new leaf

(B) He is afraid if he is bad, Gram will send them away

(C) The children no longer tease him as they did in Provincetown

(D) His best friend at school is also a do-gooder

What makes James follow through on his promise to teach Maybeth?

(A) His friend at school is also interested in reading

(B) Dicey keeps nagging him

(C) Maybeth comes home crying because she read badly for her class

(D) Maybeth asks him sweetly

Why does Dicey hate home economics?

(A) She thinks the skills it teaches are useless

(B) The teacher singles her out for ridicule

(C) The other students in the class are particularly mean to her

(D) She has no capability for the skills taught in the class

Why does Dicey grow to respect Millie?

(A) Millie is actually a shrewd businessperson

(B) Millie is honest with Dicey about her life

(C) Millie is good with her customers

(D) Millie has been friendly to Gram for her whole life

Why is Mina sure Dicey's paper is not plagiarized?

(A) She thinks it is actually not that good

(B) She knows Dicey does not care enough about school to cheat

(C) She knows Dicey is too honest to cheat

(D) She and Dicey worked on the papers together

Why does Dicey decide to call Mina that night?

(A) She was moved and touched by Mina's defense of her

(B) Gram tells her to

(C) She realizes she wants to reach out to Mina, just as Gram is reaching out to her

(D) She wants to make fun of Mr. Chappelle with someone

Why does Sammy hide his reasons for fighting from his family?

(A) He wants to be independent

(B) He thinks they will intervene if he tells them

(C) He is angry and trying to distance himself from his family

(D) He is fighting about Gram but does not want to upset her by telling her this

Why did the Tillermans not celebrate Thanksgiving in Provincetown?

(A) They were too poor

(B) Momma thought it was a silly holiday

(C) It brought back painful memories to Momma

(D) Momma always had to work on Thanksgiving

How does Dicey react when Jeff appears in the barn the Saturday after Thanksgiving?

(A) She welcomes him warmly

(B) She snaps at him because she is startled

(C) She tells him to go home because she is busy

(D) She uses the opportunity to flirt with him and drop hints about the upcoming dance

Why does Gram visit Mina's parents?

(A) She is interested in learning more about the parents of such an interesting girl

(B) She feels suspicious of Mina's attempts to befriend Dicey

(C) She wants to ask about Mr. Chappelle

(D) She sees it as a form of reaching out

Why does Dicey refuse to go to the dance with Jeff?

(A) She thinks Jeff is unattractive

(B) She honestly thinks a dance would be boring

(C) She is too shy

(D) She is being coquettish

Why does Gram refuse to tell Dicey why they are traveling to Boston?

(A) She cannot bring herself to tell Dicey what has happened

(B) She wants Dicey to figure it out for herself

(C) She thinks if she tells her, Dicey will become hysterical

(D) She is angry at Dicey for reconnecting her with her past

Why does Gram send Dicey out shopping in Boston?

(A) She does not think Dicey can handle staying with Momma all day

(B) It will be Christmas as soon as they get back

(C) She hopes thinking about her siblings will make Dicey feel better

(D) Gram hates shopping, but it must be done

Why does the man in the woodshop sell Dicey the wooden chicken for less than it is worth?

(A) He sees how much she appreciates his work

(B) He hopes she will come back and buy more

(C) The chicken is damaged

(D) Dicey bargains with him skillfully

Why is it hard for Gram to accept the box from the woodmaker?

(A) She does not like the box

(B) She thinks he pities her

(C) She wants to do everything on her own

(D) Dicey tells her not to

How does Dicey feel as they travel home from Boston?

(A) Overcome with sorrow

(B) Filled with regret

(C) Peaceful

(D) She both longs for the past and finds herself letting go of it

What does Gram do with the photo albums she brings down from the attic?

(A) She sets them down and tells the children to look at them

(B) She shows them to the children so they can remember Momma

(C) She uses the photos as a way to begin telling them about her past and about Momma

(D) She puts them on a high shelf and promises to look at them later