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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. Alice is perceived as a ________________ in prison.

2. Where do Howard and the girls find a place to live?

3. What animal does Howard slaughter in Chapter 11?

4. Howard describes a quote by ________________ which is carved over the courthouse entrance.

5. Why is Alice mad at Theresa?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Theresa's view on mercy at this point in her life?

2. How is the Goodwin family's life in the apartment radically different from the farm where they belong?

3. What is Alice's perspective on Nellie's so-called generosity?

4. What does Theresa tell Howard regarding her feelings about her and her life with Dan now?

5. How does the sale of the farm affect both Howard and Alice?

6. How does Howard describe his state of confusion in Chapter 11?

7. How do the girls adapt to "hobo life" as Howard calls their apartment adventure?

8. What are Alice's thoughts about religion as she is locked up?

9. What is Howard's interpretation of Alice's fleeing from the girls when they visit the jail for the first time?

10. How does Theresa add comfort to the lives of Howard and the girls at the same time that the farm is dying?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Alice and Theresa. What are their obvious differences? What things bring them together? What similarities do they share?

Essay Topic 2

The theme of the passage of time is an important one in the novel. How does the author begin to build this theme? Give examples of the passage of time throughout the book.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall setting for the novel. Why does Hamilton use the setting she does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

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