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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 does Shep's mother do with the family fortune?

2. Of what is the drab, ugly architecture of the Knox Building in New York City where Frank Wheeler works in sales promotion is an emblem?

3. Where does Shep meet Milly?

4. After telling his friend of his plans, on what does Ordway quiz Frank?

5. Why does Frank take the news of this snafu in stride?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Frank tell Maureen about himself?

2. What does April think about her plan to move to Europe?

3. What happens when Frank tries to apologize to his wife?

4. How does Shep meet Milly? What happens to their relationship?

5. How does the story begin?

6. How do the children respond to their parents' moods?

7. With what does Frank struggle?

8. What does the Knox Building represent?

9. Describe Frank's first visit to this building.

10. How does Frank feel about April's plan to move to Europe? How does she react to his thoughts about her idea?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Frank feels conflicting feelings about his work.

Part 1) Where does Frank work? Why does he have conflicting feelings about his work?

Part 2) How is the plan to move to France affecting him at work? Why does it affect him this way?

Part 3) How does his view of his work situation change over the course of the book? Why do these changes occur?

Essay Topic 2

Frank cannot believe April is really dead.

Part 1) How does Frank grieve April's death? Why can he not accept that she has died?

Part 2) How has her death affected his life and the lives of his children?

Part 3) Will he eventually recover? Why or why not?

Part 4) How does his reaction to April's death affect the reader?

Essay Topic 3

John speaks the truth.

Part 1) How does John's insanity affect his behavior? How does his behavior affect the others? Why?

Part 2) Do his actions and words reveal him to be insane? Why or why not?

Part 3) What would the world be like if more people spoke the truth, like John?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 872 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample