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. For whom does Helen light a candle when she goes to church?

2. Why does Helen tell Finny not to touch her chest?

3. What quality does the narrator says that Helen’s silk kimono has?

4. Why had Helen turned down a sandwich at Jack and Clara’s?

5. What did Helen’s grandmother tell her she would do if she loved something?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Helen’s relationship with Arthur.

2. What does Rosskam tell Francis about his sex life?

3. How did Helen’s father’s death change her life?

4. Explain the meaning of the attention Rosskam draws to Francis’ hands.

5. Describe Rosskam and his environment.

6. How did Helen’s mother and brother cheat her?

7. How do Francis’ kids react to seeing him?

8. What deal do Francis and Rosskam strike regarding Francis’ pay for the day?

9. Who was Katrina Daugherty and what was her role in Francis’ life?

10. Why is Helen angry with Francis, when she thinks about him in the hotel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The ending of the novel is ambiguous, but there are clues throughout the novel about whether it might be read optimistically or pessimistically. What indications does Kennedy give the reader about what to make of the ending? What conclusion do you come to about the conclusion?

Essay Topic 2

Use this book as a meditation on the value of a five-star rating system. Is a five-star system sufficient to a book like this? Would you need to have sub-topics for the rating system, for plot, characterization, language, etc? What other sub-topics would you need? What value or importance gets lost in a five-star scale? Design a scale that would be better for this book.

Essay Topic 3

Is Francis a hero or an anti-hero? Where does Francis fit in the continuum of other characters in literature? Compare and contrast Francis’ character with two other main characters in American literature.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,014 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample