1) The story follows Marion, a Black woman, as she takes her second driving test with a new examiner. 2) During the test, the examiner subjects Marion to racist verbal abuse and asks her inappropriate personal questions seemingly meant to undermine her intelligence and character. 3) At the end of the test, the examiner fails Marion not for any driving errors but as retaliation for Marion swearing at him in response to his racism, revealing his biased and unfair assessment of her skills.

1. THE TEST - ANGELICA GIBB
In discussing this short story the usual
areas which have to be examined and
the appropriate literary terms used.

2. The Test Matters
 Marion’s job depends on the test
 Mrs Ericson’s family depends on the
test
 Marion’s self-respect depends on the
test

3. The Title
 Ambiguous – has a double meaning:
both the driving test and also the racial
testing by the bigoted examiner to
check if Marion is a submissive black.
 This adds to the emotional impact of
the story.

4. “ In medias res” opening
 The writer begins in mid-plot .
 This is “her second driver’s test”.
 The “back story” is implied by the first
sentence – that something has gone wrong on
the previous test.
 The story begins at a point of high tension – a
second test with increased nerves.

5. THEME

6. Theme
 The theme is racial prejudice
 “…do like it better if a white person shows
up…”
 Mrs Ericson suggests young cousin Bill was the
wrong person to go with Marion:
 Marion reads between the lines and assumes
the problem was that Bill is black.
 Marian is honest and intuitive.

7. Implication
 Mrs Ericson suggests a bribe “..slip them a little
something…”
 The implication is that the test is a fraud, not honest
or fair if you are black
 Marion’s response, “That would only make it worse…”
hints at the main point of the story, that white bigots
are looking for any excuse to fail the black person.
 Marian has an intelligent insight.

8. THEMES:
 These are the ISSUES ; THE VALUES
which the story examines. All stories say
something about the way in which we human
beings lead our lives and treat each other.
 QU 9: What is the central theme of ‘The
Test?’

9. SETTING

10. SETTING
 i. WHERE IS THE STORY SET?
 When the reader knows the place in which the story is set he might have
certain expectations and bring some information to his reading of the
story.
 QU 1: In this story, what expectations might the reader reasonably
have about how the environment might affect the behaviour or the
fortunes of the characters?
 ii. IS THE SETTING OF INDIVIDUAL INCIDENTS
IMPORTANT?
 QU 2: Are there any incidents in this story where the setting might be
said to be symbolic?
 iii. WHEN IS THE STORY SET?
 QU 3: Is it recent? Or is it set in the past where a certain set of
historical circumstances might affect the behaviour and fortunes of the
characters?

11. PLOT

12. Plot –
How does it develop?
 Suspense over who will be the tester:
 The stocky, shouting man OR
 The genial, middle aged, smiling man (who
turns out to be the racist with the friendly face)

 Ironically , the genial man is as much a racist
as the stocky man was.

13. Careful Plotting
The tester asks her to read the sign.
She does.
He asks where she learned to read.
She says at college.
He laughs.
She stalls on the slippery bridge.
He makes fun of her: “Mistress Mandy, remember your
degree.”
She swears at him and starts the car with a jerk.
THEN He fails her with four random crosses on the
blank.

14. Careful Plotting
She stalls on the slippery bridge.
He makes fun of her: “Mistress Mandy, remember
your degree.”
She swears at him and starts the car with a jerk.
THEN He fails her with four random crosses on the
blank.
SO HE FAILED HER BECAUSE SHE LOST HER
TEMPER AT HIM, NOT BECAUSE SHE STALLED
THE CAR

15. Careful Plotting
 Reveals motivation of character of
tester
 He is furious because Marian swore at
him, not because she stalled the car.

16. IMPORTANT!!!
 The plot and its ending are designed to:
 A) challenge our sense of fairness
 B) provoke anger and indignation
 C) make us reflect on the small,
unnoticed acts of racism which still
occur.

17. PLOT:
 QU 4: Briefly summarise all that happens. in
the story - including all RELEVANT detail.
 QU 5: Are there incidents of particular
significance in the story?
 QU 6: Does the author prepare the reader for
the ending? Even, as in this story, when the
reader hopes that the ending will be otherwise.

18. CHARACTERISATION

19. CHARACTERS AND
CHARACTERISATION:
 How characters are DESCRIBED,
CONTRASTED , and made to represent A
TYPE
 How APPEARANCE,BEHAVIOUR AND
LANGUAGE combine to give a very vivid
impression of each character.
 (WE WILL LOOK AT THIS LATER IN MUCH
MORE DETAIL)

20. Marion as Point-of -View
Character
 The only character who makes meaningful
decisions in the story
 The only character present throughout the story
 The only character given a personal name
 The character who suffers unjustly and without
complaining

21. DIALOGUE

22. Use of Dialogue
(significant names)
 The inspector calls Marian “Mandy” This is
condescending
 A) He does not use her surname. (Dignity
denied)
 B) He deliberately uses an over-familiar version
of her first name
 C)He ignores Mrs Ericson’s correction
 D) When he gets away with the insult he
pushes it further, calling her “Mandy-Lou”

23. Dialogue - Intrusive
Rhetorical Questions
 The inspector asks Marian if she has children.
This is irrelevant to her driving ability.
 The inspector asks this in a racist phrase: “Old
enough to have quite a flock of pickaninnies,
eh?”

24. More Rhetorical
Questions
 The Inspector questions Marian’s motive in
wanting a licence.
 “Sure you don’t really want to sneak out nights
to meet some young blood?”
 This suggests Marian is an immature and
irresponsible teenager.

25. Another Intrusive Question
 “You-all sho can read fine . . . Where d’ya learn
to do that, Mandy?”
 The implication is that it is surprising that a
black can read at all because the negro is
uneducated or stupid.

26. Cultural Stereotypes
 “He began to whistle “Swanee River”. “Make
you homesick?” he asked.
 This is a direct reference to slavery and
plantation life.
 This is a racist jibe which the inspector feels
safe to make because there is no witness in the
car.

27. DIALOGUE:
 In every short story the way in which a
character speaks to others will reveal that
character’s qualities.
 QU 7: Find two examples of each
character‘s language and note what it
tells you about their attitude to others.

28. BODY LANGUAGE

29. Use of condescending
body-language
 ‘“Sure thing,” the inspector said, winking at Mrs
Ericson.’
 This suggests Mrs Ericson and the Inspector
are sharing a joke, that they both know Marian
is a bad driver because she is black but Mrs
Ericson has to say something positive in front
of Marian because blacks cannot cope with the
truth.

30. THE ENDING OF THE STORY

31. The real climax of the story
 What is the real climax?
 Marian stalling the car? – No.
 Marian swearing at the tester? – No.
 The tester failing Marian? – No.
 It is Mrs Ericson’s reaction: “Oh,
Marian, again?”

32. The hidden message in the
ending
 Mrs Ericson blames Marian for being a stupid
black.
 Marian does not dare to tell her truth about the
racist incidents during the test.
 Marian decides to accept the label of “stupid
black” rather than make trouble.

33. MORE AREAS TO CONSIDER

34. STYLE:
 QU 8: Look for words, phrases, or
images which are included by the author
to add to the meaning of the story and
to increase your understanding of the
characters or the themes.

35. ATTITUDE:
 All authors have an ATTITUDE to their
subject matter to their characters: it is clear in
descriptions, dialogue and- sometimes-
comments
 QU 10: What is the writer’s attitude to
her subject matter in ‘The Test.’

36. PURPOSE:
 The purpose of the writer is connected to
his/her attitude the author may want to criticise
some aspect of human behaviour and his / her
purpose would be to convince the reader that
such behaviour is wrong.
 Once you have decided what the writer’s
purpose was, you can then assess if the writer
was successful in achieving it.
 QU 11: What is the writer trying to
achieve by writing this story, what is its
purpose?

37. PERSONAL RESPONSE:
 In all critical essays you will be expected to
include your personal response to the text and
to be able to explain why you did or did not
enjoy it.
 QU 12: Give your personal response
to the short story, ‘The Test.’