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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. What is Alice wearing when she sees the girls?

2. About what does Theresa cry in Howard's arms?

3. Why does Howard decide to take the girls to see Alice?

4. Howard refers to The Gettysburg Address which was written by whom?

5. With what natural disaster is Howard dealing during this time?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the story about a dog and a tangled leash that recurs throughout the novel?

2. What is happening in the Goodwin's lives that starts to let them feel normal again?

3. How does Theresa compare court to church?

4. Describe Theresa's last night with Howard and the girls.

5. How does Alice feel about Rafferty's plans for her and for the trial?

6. How does Alice refer to her map of the world while describing her jail experience?

7. Why is the lunch between Theresa and Alice so awkward?

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

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

10. What information is Howard able to give Rafferty about Alice's past as well as his own?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a brief character study of Howard. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him--if anything--at this point?

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of Alice. What does she look like? What are her positive personality traits? What are some of her negative characteristics? What are her hopes and fears? What motivates her--if anything--at this point?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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