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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. According to David, who is the only one who can save his father?

2. What is the name of the male nurse that meets David to inform him about his father's condition?

3. Who bought David a bike for Christmas in 1972?

4. Why is David sick at the beginning of the second chapter?

5. What does David think his father's admittance into the hospital will do for his family?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does David's mother mean by "All I've done for you" when talking to David?

2. Describe the nightmares that David has during basic training.

3. What advice does David's father have for him as he gets ready to leave for the Air Force?

4. How does David's father "tell" him where the badge is?

5. Why is David's grandmother upset with his brother Russell?

6. While looking around his mother's bedroom, what is he surprised to find after seven years?

7. Why does David not understand the reason for his mother's abuse?

8. Why does David's mother refuse to go see her husband in the hospital?

9. Why does David find out that his superior officers have been so hard on him?

10. Why is David sweating while on the plane to San Antonio?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe David's relationship with his father. What kind of relationship does David have with his father when he is a child? How does David come to accept his father's decisions during his childhood? What part of David's relationship helps him to face the future?

Essay Topic 2

When talking to David about his past abuse, Patsy did not believe him. Discuss why you think Patsy did not believe that David was abused. What about David's personality makes it hard for her to believe that he was abused? Does David possess any signs of being an abused child? If so, why does Patsy fail to recognize these signs?

Essay Topic 3

David dreams of the Russian River many times throughout the novel. Explain the importance of the Russian River to David. Why is the this place so important to him? Is it his memories or his planning for the future that fuel his love for the river?

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This section contains 906 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample