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. How do the people in his family and of the town treat Mr. Carver when he is young?

2. What news does Betsy bring to Father as he is waiting to leave for Nashville?

3. How do Mr. Carver and Mr. Shackleford greet each other in the restaurant?

4. What happens in town when George Carver is born?

5. What does Holly encourage Phillip to focus on in his family?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 8, how does Phillip react to his sisters' actions? How does Alex react?

2. In Chapter 9, both Phillip and Holly begin to understand their fathers and see them as people. Holly encourages them both to go beyond forgiveness and forgetting and aspire to true understanding. How does Phillip remember his father's life growing up?

3. In Chapter 9, Phillip explains the difference between his father and Alex Mercer as an important factor in their friendship. What is this difference?

4. During the drive from the church to Mr. Carver's home in Chapter 8, Phillip begins thinking of what his father might do next. What things does he think are possible? Why does he believe his father might do any of them?

5. In Chapter 9, Phillip gives us a glimpse of Holly's life. How do we learn about Holly and how she fits into her family?

6. In Chapter 8, Betsy and Josephine have prepared a bed for Phillip in their father's study. However, Phillip does not stay. He leaves his father and sisters and returns to New York. Why does he not remain and defend his father against his sisters? Why does Phillip leave so hastily?

7. In Chapter 9, Phillip visits Holly in her apartment in the hopes of a reconciliation. What do the two of them talk about for the first time openly and honestly? What has happened in Holly's life during their separation?

8. While at Sunday supper with his family at Owl Mountain in Chapter 11, Phillip sees both Clara Price and Lewis Shackleford in the dining room. How does Phillip react to both of these important people?

9. In Chapter 12, Phillip gives the four leaf clover pendant to Holly. How does she respond? What does Phillip know from her response?

10. In Chapter 10, why does George Carver move the family to Nashville when Phillip is five years old? Where does the family live? How does he establish himself and his family in town?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Phillip realizes his father did not consider how the move to Memphis would affect all members of the family. Was the move to Memphis the only thing to affect the Carvers? Was there another factor at play, one much more dramatic than the move, that actually changed the course of everyone's lives?

Essay Topic 2

Phillip often mentions his sister's outlandish appearance and behavior in their middle age. He gives examples of their conversations in public places; their dress and accessories; their behavior with their father and others. In a way, the two sisters seem to blend into one by the end of the story. Describe the two women: who are they? How are they similar? How are they different?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 5, Phillip's mother says to him, "Don't be so hard to please, son. Sometimes the second choice is better than the first would have been." Has this proven to be true for Phillip? Is Holly, the second choice, better suited to Phillip than his first choice, Clara? Take into account all you have learned in the novel about Tennessee life, the Carver family, and Phillip himself.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,415 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample