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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. Before Jimmy leaves Bob, what question does he ask him?

2. What detail reveals Bob's emotions when he discovers that Jimmy has betrayed him?

3. What effect does the officer tell Bob that time can have?

4. On page 621, how does the plainclothes officer refer to his meeting with Bob?

5. What is the only reason that Bob can imagine Jimmy not showing up?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the introduction of Bob's character contrast with the introduction of Jimmy's character?

2. Describe the story's opening moments, including its setting.

3. What is ironic about the way that Bob describes his old friend to the "policeman" he encounters?

4. What were the circumstances of the agreement Jimmy and Bob made 20 years ago?

5. What is the significance of the similarities and differences in the ways that Bob's and the plainclothes officer's faces are revealed?

6. What is appropriate about the plainclothes officer greeting Bob with the line "It's Bob, sure as fate" (621)?

7. What is the effect of the passage depicting Bob continuing to wait in the doorway as it begins to rain?

8. How did Bob and Jimmy know one another, 20 years ago?

9. What is amusing about the plainclothes officer's answer to Bob's question about whether he is doing well in New York?

10. What surprises Bob about the appearance of the man that he thinks is his old friend, and how does the man explain away Bob's doubts?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the beliefs about friendship and loyalty conveyed by "After Twenty Years." Use textual evidence to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that uses psychological research to defend a thesis about environment and morality. Be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that explores the significance of Jimmy's note at the end of "After Twenty Years." How does it advance the plot? How does it add entertainment value to the story? Is it congruous with the earlier characterization of Jimmy? How does it impact theme? Support your ideas with evidence from the text, including quoted evidence from the letter itself.

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