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. What is Mother's reaction to Phillip's declaration that moving to Memphis has ruined his life?

2. When does Phillip's brother die?

3. Why do Betsy and Wyant stay behind in Huntington?

4. What city is described as a "land oriented" city?

5. What is the name of Phillip's school in Nashville?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 2, Phillip gives a detailed account of the traveling party on their way from Nashville to Memphis. Who went to Memphis that day? How many cars were in the caravan? Who did Betsy drive with to Memphis and why? What people outside of the immediate family moved to Memphis? Why did Father arrange for everyone in the caravan to move together?

2. In Chapter 2, Phillip tells of the end of Betsy and Wyant's relationship. What incident causes the beginning of the end of the relationship? How does Betsy react to her father? How does Wyant react? What is father's objection and how does he present this to Betsy?

3. When Phillip describes Memphis in Chapter 2, he paints detailed pictures of the city of his adolescence and the one he encounters during his adult visits home. He also compares Memphis to Nashville. How has the city of Memphis changed in Phillip's opinion? How do the two cities still differ?

4. In Chapter 6, Phillip describes many of the differences between himself and Alex as adult men. He then notes the differences. What is the primary difference between Alex and Phillip as Phillip sees it?

5. In Chapter 5, Phillip describes his summer at Fort Oglethorpe. What was this summer like for him? Why has he chosen this summer in particular to describe in detail?

6. At the end of Chapter 1, Phillip gives a detailed explanation of how the family's move to Memphis affected every member of the family. Who appears to have handled the transition the best? For whom was it the hardest? Discuss the impact on each of the four children and Mr. and Mrs. Carver.

7. Of all the Carver children, the least is said about Georgie. In Chapter 4, what information is revealed about Georgie? How would one describe Georgie and who he is in the Carver family?

8. In his letters to Phillip, Alex talks about Betsy and Josephine's involvement in the social scene in Memphis. In Chapter 3, Alex explains that the two women are rather considered a social institution in Memphis. But Alex also speaks at length about how the two women are the "laughing stock of the town." What does Alex mean by this? How does Phillip react to seeing his sisters when he visits?

9. In Chapter 3, Phillip paints a picture of his parents and his two sisters living in Memphis and their conversations about dating and the men they are both seeing. How does this appear to him when he is home visiting? How do Betsy and Josephine behave in front of their parents? What is the topic of conversation much of the time Phillip is visiting? How do the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Carver respond to their middle-aged daughters' banter?

10. In Chapter 1, the narrator begins the story with an explanation of the perils of a widower with middle-aged children,dating. What is the major issue faced by the widower? What examples of this situation does the narrator provide?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Phillip has four women in his life. In Chapter 3, he presents a picture of his two sisters, his mother, and his girlfriend, Holly. Holly stands out as notably different, even opposite, from the three women in his family. Compare and contrast these four women. What are their strengths and weaknesses? How do they relate to the men in their lives? What might Phillip find appealing about Holly?

Essay Topic 2

In the opening of the novel, Phillip speaks of the danger of middle aged children interfering with their widowed fathers' dating. How does this theme manifest itself in the novel? Discuss the ironic twist on this theme that becomes a central thread of the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Phillip flies home from New York and from the plane, can see his father waving to him. Describe the scene at the airport, and compare this to the later scene in front of the church. How does Phillip react to his father in these scenes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,397 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample