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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. Who goes to the hospital with David to see his father for the first time?

2. What item of his father's does David take from the coat in the closet?

3. Which one of David's brothers does he take out while in town visiting his grandmother?

4. While talking to his father in the hospital, why does David say he joined the Air Force?

5. Who does the enlisting sergeant compare David to?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who has come to visit David's father in the hospital?

2. David's mother stopped calling David by his name while he was a child. Describe the regression of David's "name."

3. Why is David's grandmother so upset with his mother (her daughter) after his father's death?

4. Why is David afraid of the nurse reporting the abuse to the authorities?

5. Why is David surprised upon entering his mother's home after seven years?

6. David's grandmother denies abusing his mother. What did his grandmother do to her daughter as a child?

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

8. How did David deal with his Mother's abuse as a child?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the similarities between Patsy and David's mother. Do you think these similarities have anything to do with their relationship failing? Do you think that David was trying to make up for the bad relationship he had with his mother in dating/marrying Patsy? Do you think that David was trying to save Patsy from herself because he could not save his mother?

Essay Topic 2

Describe David's relationship with Patsy. Why does David begin the relationship with Patsy? How does their relationship progress? Is the relationship good for David? For Patsy? Do you believe that the relationship was doomed from the beginning? Why?

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 881 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample