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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. From whom does Milton get a telegram while Helen is out of town?

2. How long have Carey and Helen been friends?

3. How old is Carey Carr?

4. What is Dolly's first stop when she returns from a business trip?

5. Why has the hearse stopped on the way to the cemetery?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What comment does Helen make to Carey as they leave for the cemetery which acts as foreshadowing?

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

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

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

6. What does Carey Carr recall about his first meeting with Helen?

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

8. What is the significance of the characters coming closer to the cemetery?

9. What do Carey and Milton talk about while waiting in the roadhouse for the hearse to be repaired?

10. How does the author show that Milton has inappropriate feelings for Peyton?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

Styron uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two examples you can identify in the novel and note why they are examples of irony.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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