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

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Posey begin working as a hairstylist when Chick was a child?

2. Why does Chick claim he did not check on the driver of the truck involved in his accident?

3. Why did the doctor who delivered Chick tell Posey she had to deliver by dinner time?

4. Who does Chick find looking at him as he recovers from his jump in section 1?

5. Who told Chick Benetto she was sorry he did not get a chance to say good-bye before his mother died?

Short Essay Questions

1. To whose wedding is Chick Benetto not invited?

2. What offends Chick when a man calls his mother a divorcee?

3. What phrase does Chick feel describes him completely?

4. What was Posey's profession at the time of the divorce?

5. What event caused Chick Benetto to lose faith in himself?

6. What reason does Posey give for dumping food given to the family by nuns down the disposal?

7. Why does the narrator in the Introduction say you might call this novel a ghost story?

8. What after school activity did Chick pick even after his father left?

9. Why does the narrator say the story belongs to Chick Benetto?

10. Who does Chick see when he jumps from the water tower?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss character development. Chick changes from the time he is a boy until he becomes an adult, then changes again as he becomes an adult and must deal with his mother's death. Discuss how these changes come about, what causes them, and how they affect Chick's overall attitude toward life. Discuss how these changes bring about other changes in Chick's life, such as his divorce, and how they affect his relationships with those he cares about.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Rose and Miss Thelma. Who is Rose? Why is Posey visiting her home? How does Posey know Rose is about to die? What is Posey attempting to do about that fact? Why does Chick not question his mother's apparent knowledge of death? Who is Miss Thelma? In what capacity did she once work for the Benetto family? What business did Posey go into with Miss Thelma? Why do Thelma's grandchildren not see Chick? What does Chick think of this?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss father-daughter relationships. How is Chick's relationship with his daughter like his own relationship with his father? How is Chick's relationship with his daughter like his relationship with his mother? Why is Chick's relationship with his daughter important to the plot of the novel? Who is Chick's daughter? How is Chick's sister's relationship with their mother different from Chick's relationship with their mother? Is this difference important to the developing plot? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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