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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 had Ty's father died from?

2. For years, Ty has wanted to double the farm's _________ operation, even though Larry did not agree with him.

3. Ginny cannot think of ________ without thinking of her room, which she cannot think of without thinking of her father.

4. How old is the narrator when the story opens and the description of the farm is being shared with the reader?

5. When Ginny has the memory of her father abusing her, who does she scream for, though the person does not come to her aid?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ginny describe the dimensions of her flat world as an 8-year-old in 1951?

2. What happened to Ginny's grandmother's grandparents find when they arrived in the United States from England?

3. What is Larry's response to the questions of Ginny and Ty after he is released from the hospital?

4. What does Ginny currently do for three households each and every day when she is 36?

5. What does Ginny drive Rose to and what is the outcome of this trip they take together?

6. What do Ginny and the girls encounter when they arrive home after their swimming trip?

7. What happens to Ginny after she cleans the carpet in her house, a task which takes her until noon?

8. What is on the papers which Ken LaSalle gives to Ginny when she is served?

9. When Larry arrived at Harold's, wet from the storm, what did he demand before asking for dry clothes?

10. What has Ty wanted to do for years with his share of the farm he lives on?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At times, it seems the story is being told from the perspective of someone who is a passionate feminist. While there's nothing wrong with this, it does seem to color the descriptions of the other characters.

Part 1: How does Ginny's perspective on women's rights affect the way she tells the story?

Part 2: How might the story have be told had Ginny had a more balanced view of women's vs. men's rights?

Part 3: Is it fair for an author to allow his/her characters to tell a story from a biased standpoint? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Many of the characters have their moments of seeming to be normal and well-adjusted and even happy, but at other times, these are simply guises under which they hide.

Part 1: Why do you think so many characters hide their true feelings in this story?

Part 2: What does it say about the author's own ability to trust people at face value?

Part 3: How might the story have been different had the characters simply acted in an honest and authentic way?

Essay Topic 3

The theme of rural life is one that weaves its way in and around this story. This backdrop provides a unique setting in which certain things can and cannot occur.

Part 1: In what ways does rural life affect the story within this novel?

Part 2: Why do you think the rural setting was important to use in this story? Could a city landscape have worked?

Part 3: What kinds of things are explored when a story is placed in a rural setting which could not be explored in another location?

(see the answer keys)

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