The Test
By Angelica Gibbs
Example Essays
, Choose a novel or short story which ends badly for an important character.
Briefly describe what happens to the character and, by referring to appropriate techniques, go on
to show how the writer makes you feel the character did not deserve what happened to him or
her.
A short story which ends badly for an important character is ‘The Test’ by Angelica Gibbs. Set during
the 1940s in America, ‘The Test’ is about a 27-year old black woman called Marian who is the
housekeeper for the white Mrs Ericson. Marian has sat her driving test once before and failed, it is
implied that this was due to her colour. This story takes place as Marian sits her driving test for a
second time and once again fails. This is due not just to the racism of the driving inspector but also
because she chooses to stand up for herself. I think that Gibbs makes it clear that what happened to
Marian was very unfair and that she did not deserve to receive this harsh treatment.
The short story ends with Marian shouting at the driving inspector. This outburst is the climax to
everything that has happened up to this point. The inspector has been both disrespectful and racist
towards Marian and, as a result she snaps and shouts, “Damn you!” at him. This expression shows
how frustrated and angry Marian was with the inspector as, during this period of time, this would
have been like swearing at another person. The inspector doesn’t take kindly to Marian’s outburst
and we are told that he makes, “four very black crosses at random” on her driving application. This
means that she has once again failed her test. However, through the writer’s word choice of
“random” we can see that he has no reason other than the fact that she has shouted at him to fail
her. He is simply marking off boxes without any specific examples of what she has done wrong. This
is totally unfair as Marian should be judged on her driving ability and not on how she speaks to the
inspector.
Another reason that Marian does not deserve what happens to her is because of the driving
inspector’s disrespectful attitude towards her throughout the story. From the very moment Marian
shows up to the test centre it is clear through the writer’s use of characterisation that the inspector
does not treat Marian well. When she is about to start the inspector asks her employer Mrs Ericson
if she would like to join them on the test. He says, “Mandy and I don’t mind company”. This is
disrespectful for a few reasons. First of all he doesn’t even learn Marian’s name, instead calling her
by a nickname that he himself has decided on. Secondly, he simply assumes that Marian would be ok
with her employer joining them, he does not ask her for her opinion. There is also a link to racism, a
theme which is explored throughout the short story, as in years gone by slave owners would change
the names of their slaves because they would not be able to pronounce them. Therefore, from his
very introduction the inspector is shown to be rude towards Marian.
Not only is the driving inspector rude, he is also more obviously racist towards Marian and makes
judgements on her based upon her skin colour. As the test progresses the inspector fires a number
of questions at Marian, such as her age. When she replies that she is twenty-seven, the inspector
retorts with, “old enough to have a flock of pickaninnies”. By saying this the driving inspector is
making a judgement about Marian based only on her age and skin colour. He expects that because
she is black she will already have a lot of children. The word choice used also reveals his racism since
“pickaninnies” is a racist term for young black children and to describe them as a “flock” suggests
that they would be like a pack of animals, perhaps out of control or stupid. He also suggests that
By Angelica Gibbs
Example Essays
, Choose a novel or short story which ends badly for an important character.
Briefly describe what happens to the character and, by referring to appropriate techniques, go on
to show how the writer makes you feel the character did not deserve what happened to him or
her.
A short story which ends badly for an important character is ‘The Test’ by Angelica Gibbs. Set during
the 1940s in America, ‘The Test’ is about a 27-year old black woman called Marian who is the
housekeeper for the white Mrs Ericson. Marian has sat her driving test once before and failed, it is
implied that this was due to her colour. This story takes place as Marian sits her driving test for a
second time and once again fails. This is due not just to the racism of the driving inspector but also
because she chooses to stand up for herself. I think that Gibbs makes it clear that what happened to
Marian was very unfair and that she did not deserve to receive this harsh treatment.
The short story ends with Marian shouting at the driving inspector. This outburst is the climax to
everything that has happened up to this point. The inspector has been both disrespectful and racist
towards Marian and, as a result she snaps and shouts, “Damn you!” at him. This expression shows
how frustrated and angry Marian was with the inspector as, during this period of time, this would
have been like swearing at another person. The inspector doesn’t take kindly to Marian’s outburst
and we are told that he makes, “four very black crosses at random” on her driving application. This
means that she has once again failed her test. However, through the writer’s word choice of
“random” we can see that he has no reason other than the fact that she has shouted at him to fail
her. He is simply marking off boxes without any specific examples of what she has done wrong. This
is totally unfair as Marian should be judged on her driving ability and not on how she speaks to the
inspector.
Another reason that Marian does not deserve what happens to her is because of the driving
inspector’s disrespectful attitude towards her throughout the story. From the very moment Marian
shows up to the test centre it is clear through the writer’s use of characterisation that the inspector
does not treat Marian well. When she is about to start the inspector asks her employer Mrs Ericson
if she would like to join them on the test. He says, “Mandy and I don’t mind company”. This is
disrespectful for a few reasons. First of all he doesn’t even learn Marian’s name, instead calling her
by a nickname that he himself has decided on. Secondly, he simply assumes that Marian would be ok
with her employer joining them, he does not ask her for her opinion. There is also a link to racism, a
theme which is explored throughout the short story, as in years gone by slave owners would change
the names of their slaves because they would not be able to pronounce them. Therefore, from his
very introduction the inspector is shown to be rude towards Marian.
Not only is the driving inspector rude, he is also more obviously racist towards Marian and makes
judgements on her based upon her skin colour. As the test progresses the inspector fires a number
of questions at Marian, such as her age. When she replies that she is twenty-seven, the inspector
retorts with, “old enough to have a flock of pickaninnies”. By saying this the driving inspector is
making a judgement about Marian based only on her age and skin colour. He expects that because
she is black she will already have a lot of children. The word choice used also reveals his racism since
“pickaninnies” is a racist term for young black children and to describe them as a “flock” suggests
that they would be like a pack of animals, perhaps out of control or stupid. He also suggests that
