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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 is the name of the family that Merry says she stays with when visiting New York in Chapter 3?

2. Whom does the man that tells Nathan he wrote a paper for him in school say his life was changed by?

3. What are both Swede and Merry described as being when they are returning from a seaside cottage in Chapter 3?

4. What does the narrator say Jerry is accustomed to being in Chapter 3?

5. Where did Swede's father open a second location of his store after the depression?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the nature of the description of Newark Maid Leatherware?

2. What does Jerry tell Nathan that his brother Swede had in spite of being a big success in Chapter 3?

3. What is the nature of Nathan's reminiscence about "The Kid from Tomkinsville"?

4. What is the nature of Nathan's conversation with Ira at the high school reunion?

5. What does the narrator say about the neighborhood's reason for idolizing Swede?

6. How does Rita taunt Swede sexually in Chapter 4?

7. How does the narrator describe the post-war energy of his neighborhood in Chapter 2?

8. How does the narrator describe Swede and Merry at a seaside cottage and their return from it?

9. How are Merry's physical attributes described as she grows up?

10. Swede reads about bombs over five years after Rita's visit that remind him of Merry. How are they described?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The story of Swede offers a unique and heartbreaking look into the life of an apparent American hero.

Part 1) What impact might Swede's upbringing and success as an athlete have on the way his life played out?

Part 2) What impact did Dawn's vanity and infidelity have on Swede's plight?

Part 3) What is telling of Swede based on his wanting to have a tribute to his father written by the narrator?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the use of the reunion as a frame story for Swede. What were you able to learn about Swede that you would not had the author not been at the reunion?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the book, one of the things given a great deal of detail is the author's portrayal of America.

Part 1) How does Swede's love of America reflect the sentiments of his neighborhood growing up?

Part 2) What do Merry's political beliefs as a young woman say about her feelings towards America?

Part 3) Does the author paint a favorable picture of America?

(see the answer keys)

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