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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. How many members of the family are killed by the killer in the story "A Good Man is Hard to Find"?

2. With whom is the narrator having problems at the time he escapes to the cove in "Water Liars"?

3. What do the sailors use to coax the monkey down from the mast when it is upset?

4. What is the name of the captain who pulls the monkey from the water in the story "Letters from the Samantha"?

5. What does Norma Jean do, that gives the reader hope that she and Leroy may mend their relationship and end up together?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator react when her father falls ill in "The Lover of Horses"?

2. What happens when the monkey goes wild aboard the ship in the story "Letters from the Samantha"?

3. What type of obsessions affect the narrator's family in "The Lover of Horses"?

4. Why does the rabbi call the young boys "Murderers!" in the story of the same name?

5. In the story "The Misfits," how does Gay Langland feel about relationships?

6. What does Ozzy demand of his spectators in the story "The Conversation of the Jews"?

7. Why did Sam's ex-wives walk out on him in the story "The Wedding"?

8. Who do Galven and Poma almost break up in the story "Ile's Forest"?

9. Why don't roommates Henry and Osmond get along in the story "The Christian Roommates"?

10. Why does Gil make his way to Galven's house in the story "Ile's Forest," and what is his greeting there?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story "Weekend," age becomes a factor in the relationships George forms. First, describe the women that George has a tendency to get romantically involved with. Where does he meet these women? What does their age difference tend to be? Explain the ways that George medicates himself through romantic relationships. What else does George depend on to make himself feel good about the age differences in his love life? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

The story "The Lover of Horses" is a story about obsessions. First, create a list of the obsessions present in the family of the narrator. Which of these obsessions do you think is most harmful to the family's function? Why? Choose one of the obsessions from your list and explain how it leads to heartache for some characters, and a sense of grandeur for others. Finally, explain how the narrator is able to succumb to her own obsessions only as a method of letting her father go. Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

"The Fat Girl" is a story of a woman who struggles with every relationship in her life, from her relationship with others to her relationship with herself. Describe why Louise struggles to love herself. Describe what steps Louise takes to better her life and the outcome of these attempts. Explain how Louise's struggles for love and acceptance rear their head again once she is married and has become a mother. What does Louise give up in order to find herself again? What is Louise's emotional journey? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your argument.

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