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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. Besides being self-absorbed, what other word is used to describe Swede's daughter in Chapter 3?

2. What is the first war Merry become militant about?

3. Whom does Merry ask Swede to kiss her like when they are returning from a seaside cottage in Chapter 3?

4. How many years had Swede's daughter been in hiding according to Jerry in Chapter 3?

5. What is the name of the man that tells Nathan he wrote a paper for him in school at his class reunion?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. How are the adolescents in Nathan's neighborhood described in Chapter 2?

6. What does Merry begin doing in New York as a teenager?

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

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

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

10. What does Nathan say his working from home saves him from when talking with Jerry at the class reunion?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters Dawn and Merry. What does Dawn's insistence on making Merry her mirror image say about the struggles within these two characters

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the portrayal of the family structure in the book. What might the author be saying about the typical portrayal of the family structure based on his depiction of Swede's family?

Essay Topic 3

One of the major factors to create Merry's militant actions is the impact of Swede's kiss to Merry as a child.

Part 1) What is telling of Merry based on her request that her father kiss her like he would her mother?

Part 2) What about Swede's sudden pullback after he had kissed Merry as a child could have caused her militant behavior later in life?

Part 3) What about Swede's inability to understand the impact his kiss had on Merry suggests he is unable to relate to others in his life?

(see the answer keys)

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