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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 religion does Swede practice?

2. Swede's healthy self-image changes so that he senses his life is what in Chapter 3?

3. What does the narrator say Mendy is now obsessed with?

4. What is Swede's last name in the book?

5. Who is the recipient of a 14-year-old girl's kidney at Nathan's class reunion?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How is Jerry described at the beginning of Chapter 3?

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

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

6. What does Nathan decide he will do to complete his story on Swede in Chapter 3?

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

8. Describe Rita and Swede's conversation after she reveals she is Merry's friend in Chapter 4?

9. What does one doctor say about Merry's stuttering in regard to her perfectionist family?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the character Dawn and Marcia. What do the differences in these two characters' ideologies suggest about the natures of their characters?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the character Lou Levov. What about Lou's upbringing influenced the way he raised his children and pushed his ideals on their lives?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the role of the dinner party in the book. How do the events at the dinner party represent the crashing down of everything in Swede's life?

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