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. When Claire finds herself trying to analyze her own feelings for the very first time, what adjective does she use to describe the one emotion she has always felt?

2. In what month of the year does the Ceremony always take place in the community?

3. What type of body of water borders the community in which Claire grows up?

4. The boat worker tells Claire that the boat on which they travel is special due to what quality?

5. What is the process of birthing called in the community?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the consequence of Claire's Task being different from those of the other Birthmothers?

2. What does Claire realize during breakfast one day when she sees the other Fish Hatchery workers cleaning up their tables and getting ready to begin work?

3. For what reason are the Nurturers considering keeping Claire's son at the center for another year before assigning him to a parental unit?

4. What are the elements of Claire's plan to find Sophia, her acquaintance who has a job at the Nurturing Center where Claire's son is being held, and how does it work out?

5. What criterion does Claire give regarding how the Fish Hatchery had been chosen as her workplace and how does the criterion differ from others who work at the Fish Hatchery alongside her?

6. Upon finally seeing Marie on the boat, what questions arise in Claire's mind?

7. What does one of the Vessels report it had felt like to cease taking the pills when she had been assigned the role of Birthmother?

8. When Claire declares that she hates her life, what aspects of her life does she say she despises?

9. How does Claire feel about her work at the Fish Hatchery?

10. What reason does the narrator give for all of the Fish Hatchery workers being fond of the director, Dimitri?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Narrative events within Lois Lowry's novel Son refer to the subject of trust at many different points. Trace these mentions, explain each instance's circumstances, and discuss the overall message the author sends about the subject of trust.

Essay Topic 2

Like many other bildungsroman books and movies, Lois Lowry's novel Son presents the loss of innocence as a theme. Trace Claire's loss of innocence over the course of the novel's narrative. What is the author's purpose for depicting Claire's, as well as other characters', loss of innocence throughout the novel?

Essay Topic 3

The novel Son is littered with the use of sensory details, particularly after Claire's arrival in the village after fleeing from the community in which she was born. Discuss the author's purpose in including the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations associated with Claire's new life in the village.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,180 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample