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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. What job did John help the widow with, who had just moved from her farm to a cottage in town?
2. Jack tells John that during the Civil War, Iowa had a specific kind of regiment. According to the Tennessean who spoke to Jack, what kind of regiment was it?
3. How does John describe Boughton's parents?
4. What is the topic of the sermon Lila puts by John's bed that was dated June, 1947?
5. What were Jack Boughton's first words to John after he met him in church the first time?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does Jack share with John that acts as a prelude to the novel's climax? Share some details about the specifics of Jack's revelation.
2. What is John's point on preaching on Hagar and Ishmael?
3. Contrast how John felt about Lila when first becoming acquainted with her to how he felt about his first wife, Louisa.
4. What is the nature of the conversation John and Boughton have while Lila, their son, and Glory have gone to the movies?
5. What are Jack's reasons for coming home to Gilead?
6. What are two memories of pranks that John and Boughton share on Boughton's porch?
7. How does John explain the futility of defending beliefs?
8. What moves John to tears during his conversation at the church with Jack?
9. John writes an extensive contemplation of the Ten Commandments, focusing on the Fifth Commandment. What are some of his thoughts?
10. What is John's response to the possibility that there may be something approaching love between Lila and Jack?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
"Gilead" has a structure like few other novels. Discuss why Robinson chose to not use chapters or other obvious breaks, how this adds or takes away from an understanding of the book, and how such a narrative propels the plot. Consider: Could "Gilead" have been improved by the inclusion of chapter breaks or other demarcations?
Essay Topic 2
The last section of the book, pagers 233 - 247, contains the book's climax. There are three stages to this climax. Identify and discuss each one of these stages.
Essay Topic 3
In the first section of the book, pages 1 - 8, discuss what expositional elements emerge. Identify and describe the thematic and narrative foundations found in this section and how these themes are carried through the rest of the novel. Select and describe what you think is the central theme of the book.
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This section contains 857 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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