Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What American writer referred to the "imp of the perverse"?
2. What was Reader's favorite holiday?
3. What did Kevorkian's attorney suggest for the doctor?
4. When is the Milford Memories festival held?
5. What sport did Lynch mention watching with loved ones in bad weather?
Short Essay Questions
1. How did Lynch feel about the prospect of his loved ones feeling guilt at his funeral?
2. Describe Lynch's grandmothers.
3. Describe Matthew Sweeney's personality.
4. How does Lynch view the current state of debate over abortion?
5. How did Lynch react to the body of the young man who shot himself in Chapter 9?
6. How does Sweeney approach the consuming of food delicacies?
7. What lesson did Lynch want to teach Sweeney with his story of the man killed by the falling vehicle at the scrap metal yard?
8. How do Lynch and his wife differ in their views of Milford as they walk through town in Chapter 7?
9. What perspective did Lynch reach on the night his mother was buried?
10. Why have more and more Americans opted for cremation, according to Lynch?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the significance of the rebuilding of the Oak Grove bridge. Why was Mary Jackson so determined to have her funeral procession take the traditional route across the bridge to the cemetery? What sentiments did Lynch express in his poem for the dedication? How is a town affected by its proximity to the dead and its willingness to acknowledge, rather than hide, the dead? How were the older funeral processions (past houses rather than businesses) superior to the ones after the bridge collapsed? Why is it important that the dead be remembered?
Essay Topic 2
Lynch wanted to know the day he would die so he could recognize the midpoint when he arrived at it. Do you think it is possible to intuitively know the midpoint of your life? Why did Lynch pick that Halloween as his likely midpoint? What was is perspective on his life at that point? What would be the advantages to knowing the midpoint of your life? Would it affect how you viewed different periods of your life? is there actually an equilibrium that people automatically reach at midlife?
Essay Topic 3
Lynch discussed the criticisms faced by his profession from various authors and the media. Were these criticisms justified? Is there something inherent in the field that makes it impossible for "customers" to get a fair deal? Does preplanning a funeral help avoid some of the more difficult issues? Why do people criticize the profession as a whole while insisting that they themselves had a positive experience in the past? How does Lynch defend his profession?
This section contains 1,071 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |