View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mrs. Dugan tell Macon about Muriel's past?

2. Why does Muriel tell Macon about the previous boyfriend who, after he began to trust women again, left her for a stewardess?

3. After Sarah leaves for her sculpture class, why is Macon distracted when he sits down to write?

4. How does Muriel respond to Macon's reminder?

5. After the storm, what does Macon discover when he goes to his house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tyler utilizes the third-person point of view in the novel to show Macon's thoughts, motives, and actions. Why do you think she uses "he" and "she" instead of "I." How would the novel be different if Macon was narrating it? Would we learn more or less from a first-person perspective?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the Leary Family and the Dugan Family. Discuss the following in terms of their function or dysfunction, their relationship to society and one another, and how Macon and Muriel fit in or don't it with them:

1. The roles of mothers.

2. The roles of fathers.

3. The roles of siblings.

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, Macon and Rose share many similarities. Like Macon, Rose doesn't like change and chooses a partner who is very different from herself. Discuss Rose as a character and her decision to move back home to take care of her brothers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 397 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample