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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 is the mother's concern for her child's placement in Chapter 1?

2. What does Charlie Rudder want of Tom?

3. Why are George's girls sulking on the way to berry picking?

4. What new name does Zach give to Willie?

5. What does WIllie discover is missing from Tom's house?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Willie believe that he is a bad boy and what are the consequences of his being one?

2. Why is the entrance of the post-office boy suspenseful?

3. How does Willie feel about Zach and what indicators are there about the way their friendship will or will not develop?

4. Why are George's sisters upset with George on the day of the picnic, and what does this say about the way that they think?

5. What might be foreshadowed by Tom dusting off the paints at the end of Chapter 2?

6. How does Willie become humiliated at school on the first day? What do the children do to make him feel better?

7. How does Zach's character add to the story?

8. What is the overall feeling of the townspeople about the war? What actions do they perform that reveal their feelings?

9. What do Willie and Rachel have in common, and how does it affect Tom in the "Birthday" chapter?

10. Why has Willie come to stay with Tom and how does Tom feel about this?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Though the reader is never told why Mrs. Beech commits suicide, one can infer as to why. Express your opinion as to why she did and support you answer with specific incidents from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the people of the city to the people of the countryside in this novel.

Essay Topic 3

Why is Geoffrey brought into the novel? How does he help in the healing of Willie?

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