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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. This breed of men in #161 believe their way of thinking is normal and that they should be ___________ by everyone else.

2. Ginny and Rose are said to have wrecked the dreams of the character in #100, and that what ___________ did to them was their fault.

3. Where do the adults drop Pammy and Linda off before they head into town for their meeting?

4. At the ___________ in the town where Ginny travels, the store manager notes that Larry is planning on moving to Des Moines.

5. The sorting of possession happens in the cold as _________ doesn't believe ventilation prevents kerosene heater fatalities.

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. What was the one thing, Ginny thinks, her father had stolen from her in her life and in her marriage?

6. What is the status of Harold's eyes after his accident with the ammonia?

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

8. What does Ginny do between shifts at her new job as a waitress?

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

10. How is it shown that Ty is the better farmer of all of his neighbors and their farms?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Larry is a character that the reader hates from the start, and yet, one cannot help but also feel some pity for him and for his situation.

Part 1: Do you think Larry is an inherently bad person? Why or why not?

Part 2: Had the girls' Mom not died, do you think Larry would have been a different person? Why or why not?

Part 3: Do you think Larry realizes just how awful he has been to his children? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The prospect of freedom is something that is explored at several points of this story.

Part 1: How do you think the characters are trapped in this story?

Part 2: How do you think the characters are free in this story?

Part 3: Do you think it's easier for the characters to be trapped or to be free? Why?

Essay Topic 3

One might say that parts of the story were simply out of the hands of the characters. For example, the role of disease and illness seem to be out of the hands of the characters, though the actions of Larry seem to be within his control.

Part 1: Do you think that that characters had more opportunities to change their lives? Why or why not?

Part 2: Why didn't some of the characters try to change their lives and redirect their experiences?

Part 3: Do you think the book supports the idea of nature being in control of our lives or of free will being in charge? Why did you choose the answer you did?

(see the answer keys)

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