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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. The woman used to fascinate Freddy by playing with which item?

2. What was Freddy's favorite place to visit as a child?

3. Buechner often told people his father died from which of the following?

4. The author says that he attempted to listen to how many days in his life?

5. Buechner believes that the meaning of life can come to us through which of the following?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Freddy's opinion of his father?

2. Describe Buechner's experience during the morning when he was attempting to ignore the sound of the carpenters working in the house.

3. What are Buechner's thoughts regarding adulthood and emotional maturity?

4. How does Buechner refer to the exact moment when time begins to exist for him?

5. What was the purpose of writing a memoir at such a young age?

6. How is the death of Freddy's father foreshadowed? How is it related to the rest of the author's life?

7. Who is Mrs. Taylor? What was her relationship to Freddy?

8. Explain the nomadic behavior of the Buechner family when Freddy was a child.

9. Discuss the reference Buechner makes to Dylan Thomas. Which poem is mentioned? What is the theme explored by Buechner?

10. What situations have been faced by Grandma Buechner? What is the woman's personality?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are often many differences between the personalities of the youngest and eldest child in a family, regardless of size. Discuss the differences between Freddy and Jamie. Compare and contrast the brothers. Examine how the boys view family life, their parents and grandparents, father's suicide and last effects of the tragedy.

Essay Topic 2

Freddy exhibits mental instability while he was in the army. What is your opinion on the issue? Was Freddy simply scared of the orders, or were there other factors at work? Do you think the meltdown experienced by Freddy was caused by the situation or was it residual from his childhood? What was the reaction of the commanding officer? What happened to Freddy after he broke down? How did it affect his career? Was Freddy ordered to get help? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Freddy was somewhat obsessed with the Land of Oz. From an early age, Freddy was enthralled by the OZ series and its characters. Freddy talks a lot about King Rinkitink. Explain in detail the Land of Oz, its characters, and why it appealed to Freddy.

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