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. Who shows up at Louis' office who Louis finds difficult to talk to.

2. What does Louis call for?

3. What does Martin plan to do later?

4. What does Jason Meechum call Ben several times?

5. What does Antonia decide upon seeing Calli?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Antonia react when she sees Calli come out of the woods?

2. Where does Martin go after seeing his daughter off on the helicopter, and what does he plan to do?

3. Who are a couple men the police are looking into?

4. Where does Fielda decide to go and who volunteers to go with her?

5. Describe Calli's dream.

6. What does Louis see in the trees and why doesn't he immediately investigate?

7. What are Calli and Antonia doing when Ben arrives at the hospital?

8. What does Calli think about Mr. Wilson?

9. What happens when Ben finds Griff, Calli and Petra?

10. What time does Ben think about when he was nine.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of The Weight of Silence, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements in The Weight of Silence. (The subplots may not contain every element of a major plot). Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not. Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Heather Gudenkauf.

2. What in Gudenkauf's background may have helped him in writing The Weight of Silence? What may have influenced the way he depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think The Weight of Silence is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,304 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample