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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. In which city does Annie's father finally give up his dream and return home?

2. What position did Father have during the war when he was fighting?

3. When Annie is fixated on the war, what does she look up into the sky, searching for?

4. What is the name of Annie's favorite baseball team?

5. Which of the following wars is Annie first interested in?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Annie Dillard's father's greatest dream in life?

2. How was the city of Pittsburgh founded?

3. What jobs does Father have after he returns from his failed trip down the Mississippi?

4. Why isn't Annie allowed to play with the Sheehy children?

5. How does Annie explore the skin of her parents?

6. How does Annie feel about the boys she takes dance lessons with in school?

7. As she is drawing, what realization does Annie come to about the way children view the world?

8. How does Annie react to each of her sisters when they were born?

9. What is Mother's favorite joke about the brick and the little black poodle?

10. How does Annie perform when she plays baseball with the boys?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Organized religion is a constant theme throughout Annie's memoir. First, explain Annie's relationship to Catholicism as a child. Then, compare / contrast the Catholicism of Annie's childhood to the Protestantism of her adulthood. How did Annie's relationship with organized religion change as she matured into adulthood?

Essay Topic 2

Annie decided to title her memoir "An American Childhood." Do you think this is a fitting title for her memoir? Why or why not? Do you think Annie's experiences can speak for the typical American child? Why or why not? How does Annie manage to write about American childhoods even though she is writing from an extremely privileged socioeconomic status?

Essay Topic 3

Annie's favorite sport as a child was baseball. First, explain how Annie was introduced to the sport, and how the sport of baseball affected her daily life. Then, describe Annie's experience playing baseball with the neighborhood children. What did she learn from this experience? Finally, describe Annie's emotions about the transition from playing baseball to playing softball. What did she learn about herself in this experience?

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