View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where is the Blue Moon?

2. What is the name of Phillip's school in Nashville?

3. How long after the move to Memphis do Betsy and her beau break off their relationship?

4. What do Betsy and Josephine do to embarrass their father?

5. What did Phillip begin reading upon spending time with Clara?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 2, Phillip recalls a conversation between his mother and a friend of hers from Nashville. In their conversation, the woman declares "you, my dear Minta, will love Memphis." Does Phillip's mother love Memphis? How does she adjust to her new home?

2. In Chapter 4, thirteen year-old Phillip introduces us to his first serious girl friend. Who is the young girl he falls in love with and how does he describe her? What develops in their relationship, and how does it end?

3. In Chapter 5, Phillip describes his summer at Fort Oglethorpe. What was this summer like for him? Why has he chosen this summer in particular to describe in detail?

4. In Chapter 4, Phillip discusses Alex's concerns about Mr. Carver. Phillip listens, but thinks that Alex may not know his sisters as well as he thinks he does. What does Alex fear will happen to Mr. Carver and why? How does Phillip see the situation?

5. In Chapter 2, Phillip tells of the end of Betsy and Wyant's relationship. What incident causes the beginning of the end of the relationship? How does Betsy react to her father? How does Wyant react? What is father's objection and how does he present this to Betsy?

6. In Chapter 6, Phillip describes many of the differences between himself and Alex as adult men. He then notes the differences. What is the primary difference between Alex and Phillip as Phillip sees it?

7. Of all the Carver children, the least is said about Georgie. In Chapter 4, what information is revealed about Georgie? How would one describe Georgie and who he is in the Carver family?

8. In Chapter 5, Phillip tells the story of the pendant. What is the significance of four leaf clovers in the love affair between Clara and Phillip?

9. In Chapter 1, how do Mr. Carver's daughters initially handle his dating? How does this change when he begins seeing one woman exclusively?

10. In Chapter 5, Phillip's narrative presents many examples of Alex's ability to befriend both Mr Carver and Phillip Carver. What are the examples Phillip gives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the beginning of the novel, Holly believes Phillip is obsessed with his family. As the novel continues, she changes her opinion. Phillip learns more about Holly's family, and it becomes evident that there is a strong similarity between Holly and Phillip. What is this mutual experience, and how does it better explain their relationship?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, the author spends a great deal of time describing the cities of Memphis and Nashville. Why do you think the differences in these two cities is important to the plot of the novel? Are the cities symbolic of Southern culture and Southern families? How does this novel compare to other well-known books set in the South?

Essay Topic 3

Phillip's long term relationship with Holly Kaplan is the only successful love relationship the adult Carver siblings have. Why do you think this is? How does his father's influence in his romance with Clara Price compare to that of his of Betsy and Josephine's? Why has Phillip's father not meddled in the relationship between Holly and Phillip?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,285 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample