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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. Ginny is working as a waitress at the ____________ Restaurant off Interstate 35.

2. Rose remembers that her mother died when she was at _____________.

3. ____________, who reminds Ginny of Pete, is interested in vertical food conglomerates and may go to work for General Foods.

4. Pete gets drunk and drives over to threaten ________ and then drives off into the quarry where he actually drowns.

5. What is Rose's reaction to the fact that Ginny tried to poison Rose with the sausages?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Pete tell Rose the week before when she told him about her affair with Jess?

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

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

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

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

6. What happened to Rose's old home when the farm sale occurred in the springtime?

7. Why is Rose tempted to walk inside Chelsea, according to Rose as she speaks to Ginny?

8. What does Rose want Ginny to do for her daughters, Pammy and Linda, that night instead of taking them back with Ginny?

9. What happens when Pete gets drunk in Mason City and drives over to threaten Harold?

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

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?

Essay Topic 2

Ginny finally escapes the farm and the country, leaving without explanation and without any plan for her future.

Part 1: Why do you think Ginny decided to leave when she did?

Part 2: Why do you think Ginny decided to leave without telling anyone she was going?

Part 3: What do Ginny's actions surrounding leaving say about her and about her emotional state at the time of her departure?

Essay Topic 3

Ginny is the narrator of the story, but as with all narrators who are directly involved in the story, there are limitations to what the reader can believe.

Part 1: Do you think Ginny is a trustworthy narrator? Why or why not?

Part 2: In what ways might Ginny's life and experiences have affected the storytelling?

Part 3: Which other character might have made a strong narrator? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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