View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old is Nathan as he prepares a speech for his high school reunion in the book?

2. What is the name of Merry's hometown?

3. What does the narrator say the adolescents had respect for in regard to their parents in his neighborhood?

4. What is the name of the store Swede's father opened after the depression?

5. Whom does Swede remember watching on TV and has an imaginary conversation with in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Nathan fascinated with in regard to his childhood culture?

2. What reason does Nathan give Jerry for coming to the reunion?

3. How does Swede describe glove making to the narrator in Chapter 1?

4. How does the narrator say Swede's grandfather became a glove manufacturer?

5. How does the narrator describe Swede's tribute to his father?

6. How does the narrator describe the lack of a generation gap in his neighborhood?

7. What does Swede remember about when Merry watched monks on TV?

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

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

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

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 2

Examine the character Dawn. In what way did Dawn create her own depression by placing the blame on Merry's indiscretions?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's use of tone. What details is the author able to introduce about the characters by using varying tones in one chapter?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 579 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample