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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 do the townsfolk in the story "Dream Children" think the narrator does recklessly?

2. What question does the young man ask the older woman at the doctor's office at the end of "The Story of a Scar"?

3. On what holiday does the fisherman take his son and nephew out into the water to shoot ducks?

4. How does Jack feel after he accidentally kills his brother?

5. What color is the fur the monkey covered with in "Letters from the Samantha"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the grandmother react when face-to-face with the killer she read about in the newspapers?

3. How does Leo Finkel meet his wife in "The Magic Barrel"?

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

5. What stories do the old men from the cove tell the narrator in the story "Water Liars"?

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

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

8. What lie did James tell his fellow bus riders in the story "The Liar"?

9. What happens to Jancy on her drive to visit with her boyfriend in the story "The Heavenly Animal"?

10. How does David Hawthorne die in the story "Redemption," and what is his family's reaction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The story "Ile Forest," centers around one singular crime and the idea of man judging another man, or absolving him of his crimes. First, describe the crime that was committed in Ile's Forest. Who was involved? What was the outcome of the crime? Choose two characters from Ile's present life and describe how these two characters judged Ile for his crime. Were they willing to forgive him? Why or why not? In the end, do you think justice was served to Ile for his crimes? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text that you strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

The story "Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is full of moments when reality and fantasy intermix, particularly in the mind of Connie. Describe the fantasy Connie has about love and compare that to the reality of the romance present in her young life. Then, describe the fantasy Connie creates about Arnold Friend and compare it to the reality of who he really is. Finally, explain the way that Connie's experiences with Arnold, either real or imagined, affected the way she views the world. Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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