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. Why is there no casket at the funeral of David's father?

2. What does David's grandmother compare talking about the past to?

3. What is the last thing that David said to his father before he died?

4. Who called David at his foster parent's home while taking a break from staying with his father in the hospital?

5. What does David make the nurse promise after she tells him she knows the truth about the abuse?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Why does David choose to stay at the dorms rather than go out with the other soldiers?

4. Describe the hug between David and his grandmother during their first meeting in years.

5. What is the only way that David knows how to deal with his father's death?

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

7. What does David realize while looking in the mirror at his grandmother's about his grandmother?

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

9. Patsy gives David a lot of trouble about not going out with her in Chapter 6 entitled "Regroup." How does David justify to Patsy not going out and doing anything fun?

10. Why is David shocked by the one and only letter his father sends him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the importance of David's son Stephen. Why is Stephen so important to David? Why is David willing to sacrifice everything for his son? Is this David's way of showing the world that he is not a "bad person?" How does Stephen save David?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss why David struggles with forgiving his mother. What does it finally take for David to forgive his mother? Why is it that David struggles with forgiving her?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 875 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample