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. On what street did Michael grow up in Featherton?

2. What was Claudia's surname before she married?

3. Who is the woman that gave Matthew directions to the Merchisons' home in "Before the Beginning"?

4. Where did Michael and Abbey rent a small house when they returned to the city after marrying?

5. Where did Michael live when he and Penelope began seeing one another?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Michael do after his mother died? Why?

2. What is revealed in the letters Clay receives in Part 4?

3. What did Clay do after reading through the stacks of his father's plans while Michael was at the mining site in Part 4?

4. Where did Michael and Abbey go after high school? Why?

5. Where did Penelope go after fleeing the Eastern Bloc as a refugee?

6. Discuss the structure of the novel. How is the story related?

7. How is the setting of The Surrounds described?

8. Why did Penelope like the house at 18 Archer Street?

9. How do Clay's brothers help him train?

10. How and why did Penelope's father arrange for her to flee as a refugee?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Matthew Dunbar. How old is Michael in the prologue and epilogue of the novel? What are his relationships like with his brothers? How does he feel about his parents? How does Matthew's character evolve in the course of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolism of the pets in the Dunbar home. What are the pets' names? Why is this significant? Who cares for the pets? What do these pets each represent?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the character of Carey Novac in Bridge of Clay. Where is Carey from? What is her passion in life? How does she meet Clay and what is their relationship like? What are the impacts of Carey's death?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 716 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample