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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 does Dolly call the Loftis house prior to the celebration in #110?

2. What is the primary relationship in LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS?

3. Where does Carey Carr take Helen at the beginning of Chapter 4?

4. Where do Peyton and Harry go on their honeymoon?

5. How long have Carey and Helen been friends?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Dolly's response to Helen's accusations and demands at the tearoom?

2. In addition to the other parent/child relationships in the novel, how does Carey Carr's personal story fit in?

3. What does Dick do while Helen and Maudie are out of town and he has the house to himself?

4. What does Carey recall about the Loftises a year after Maudie's death?

5. What is the nature of Christmas 1941 in the Loftis household?

6. Does Helen seek out Carey for her belief in God or something else?

7. What was the nature of Helen's meeting with Dolly at the tearoom?

8. Who does Helen blame for Maudie's death?

9. Why does Carey find it difficult to minister to Helen?

10. What news does Helen have about Maudie and why is she so angry at Milton and Peyton when they finally return to the hospital?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the ongoing conflict between Helen and Peyton. What is the source of the conflict? Why does it perpetuate? Is it really possible for a mother and daughter to hate each other to the degree that Helen and Peyton seem to hate? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the significance of the book's title. What did the author mean by calling the novel LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS? Cite an example to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Create a brief character study of Helen. What does she look like? What are her positive personality traits? What are some of her negative characteristics? What are her hopes and fears? What motivates her--if anything--at this point in her life?

(see the answer keys)

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