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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. Who calls after midnight wanting to talk, which causes the other person on the line to come over to talk?

2. The ______________ is parked, waiting until the crew laid the floors of the grower and the finisher buildings.

3. Harold's _________ still pain him, and he doesn't like to be left alone anymore, so he is thinking about moving.

4. ___________ tells Ginny and Caroline they can take any personal possessions they want from the house and farm.

5. What was expected at 6:00 AM, so Ginny sneaks out at 11:00 PM after Ty has fallen asleep early?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rose's physician tell Ginny about the condition of Rose and about her prognosis?

2. Why did the bank not give Ty a loan this year for his farm and for his hog operation?

3. Why has Henry Dodge, the Lutheran minister, come to call on Ginny, even though she did not ask him to come?

4. What does Ginny do in order to attempt to poison her sister, Rose?

5. What does Ginny do when she slips out of bed as Ty is sleeping one night?

6. How does Ginny describe the way she is feeling after the midnight conversation with Rose?

7. How did Ginny cover for Caroline when they were younger, Caroline being 14 and Ginny being 22?

8. What does Mr. Cartier tell Ginny and Rose, Pete and Ty to do in order to keep up with their case?

9. Why does Ty hope for good weather at the beginning of this chapter?

10. Why do Ginny and Caroline go about dividing possessions in the cold as it is late November?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of the novel is sad, depressing, and perhaps even tragic. However, in the face of all this tragedy, it is hard to begin to see who might have suffered more.

Part 1: Describe the tragedy of one character in this story. How has his/her past and/or present pain changed him/her?

Part 2: Do you think it's possible to avoid tragedy in this story? Why or why not?

Part 3: Why do you think the author focused so much on the tragedy of the characters in this story?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the story it is obvious that Ginny wants to have a baby, but at the same time, this goal is clouding her interpretation of events around her.

Part 1: Do you think the story would have been different had Ginny already had children?

Part 2: How do Ginny's fertility issues cloud the storytelling? Or don't they?

Part 3: What might be the symbolism of Ginny's fertility issues in relation to the events which take place?

Essay Topic 3

Between Rose's cancer and Ginny's infertility, it seems that maybe there is a genetic or environmental issue at work that might be harming these women.

Part 1: Do you think the farm's chemicals are what are causing the troubles for the women in this story? Why or why not?

Part 2: What does it say about these women that they don't leave, even though the environment might be making them sick?

Part 3: What does it say about Caroline that she is the 'well one' and she left the farm? Should the others have left the farm as well?

(see the answer keys)

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