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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 animal does Jancy hit with her car on her drive to visit with her boyfriend?

2. From what country is "The General" in the story "Redemption?

3. What religion does Leo Finkle practice in the story "The Magic Barrel"?

4. What animal attacks David while he is going for a drink of water at the lake?

5. How old is David in the story "Walking Out"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What type of relationship does the narrator have with her dead son in the story "Dream Children"?

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

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

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

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

6. What instrument does Jack Hawthorne learn to play in the story "Redemption," and why?

7. What type of hunting experience does the fisherman and his boys have in the story "The Ledge"?

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

9. What strains threaten to ruin the marriage of Leroy Moffitt and Norma Jean in the story "Shiloh"?

10. How did the older woman in "The Story of a Scar" get the scar on her face?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story "The Misfits," Gay is a man who cannot commit to anything for a long period of time. Describe Gay's character and explain why he a fear of commitment. Choose one relationship in Gay's life and explain how his fear of commitment affected that relationship. Finally, describe the relationship between Gay and Perce. What brings these two men closer together? What threatens to tear them apart? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

The story "Bystander" is a reflection of fatherhood as seen through the eyes of Arty and his relationship with his father, Lewis. First, describe the relationship Arty had with his father in his childhood. Then, compare that to the relationship he has with his father in adulthood. Explain why Arty feels like a "Bystander" in his relationship with his father and why, even though he feels inactive. 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.

(see the answer keys)

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