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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. Bird compares the baby's situation to ______________________.

2. Bird hints to the doctor that ______________________.

3. Where will Bird get the money to pay the hospital bills?

4. When Bird catches a glimpse of Himiko's naked body, he ___________________________.

5. How is Bird positioned for his new roles in life?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bird learn about the child's birth when he calls his mother-in-law?

2. What is ironic about Bird's using sex to avoid responsibility?

3. At what stage is Bird in his journey of personal transformation at this point?

4. How does the doctor exhibit insensitivity toward Bird about the baby on the way to the hospital?

5. What do the giggling doctor and the one-eyed doctor symbolize in the story?

6. What does Bird's father-in-law give to Bird during the visit and why is this an unlikely offering given Bird's troubles with addiction?

7. Waking up sick with a hangover, what does Bird think might serve as partial restitution for the baby's dire situation?

8. What does Bird notice about the women watching from the windows of the maternity hospital?

9. What is the significance of the students in Bird's class and what do they represent after his in-class vomiting incident?

10. How does Bird's thoughts about his child as a war hero show what Bird really feels about the journey ahead for the child and himself?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the conflict between Bird and his wife. What are the main sources of the conflicts? Why does it perpetuate? Why does the conflict between Bird and his wife occur shortly after their marriage?

Essay Topic 2

There are only a few characters in the book who have names. Why does the author choose to name the characters he does? What point is the author trying to make by not giving names to the other characters? Why is it significant that the baby does not have a name until late in the story?

Essay Topic 3

The author uses several instances of foreshadowing in the story. Explain what foreshadowing is and cite at least two examples making sure to explain what makes each an instance of foreshadowing.

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This section contains 1,063 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample