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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. When Annie remembers her emotions as a teenager, what does she compare them to?

2. What type of tumor does Opa battle until he finally dies?

3. When Annie is a teenager, who is she most concerned with pleasing?

4. In which suburb of Pittsburgh did Andrew Carnegie live as a boy?

5. Which of the following men was known for his motto: "Put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket."

Short Essay Questions

1. How are Annie's views on the realities of WWII different than her views of the French-Indian War?

2. What Bible verse strikes a particular cord with Annie and her imagination?

3. What does Annie find most fascinating about the French-Indian War?

4. What happens to Oma after Opa died?

5. How does Annie claim her world changes when she turns sixteen?

6. How does the introduction of streetcars alter the topography of Annie's neighborhood?

7. How does Annie feel seeing the boys from the Sewickley Dance at church the following Sunday?

8. Why is Annie labeled a "troubled child" while in her teens?

9. What types of things does Mother fight for within her social circles?

10. What does Annie imagine life would be like if an atom bomb were dropped on her neighborhood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Annie Dillard published this memoir, she was over forty years old, but attempting to write in the voice of her childhood. Give one example of a scene in which Annie was writing in the voice of ten-year-old child, and one scene in which she was writing in the voice of an adult woman looking back. Do you think the balance between these voices was successful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

In school, Annie's class hatches the larvae of a Polyphemus moth. First, explain Annie's emotions at the anticipation of the moth's hatching. Then, explain the devastating effects of captivity on the classroom moth. Finally, describe Annie's emotions when she sees the moth set free.

Essay Topic 3

Annie frequently discusses feeling profoundly inspired when she walks into a library. First, give at least two examples of times with the inspiration of books overwhelmed Annie. Then, briefly explain how Annie's inspiration from books changed as she matured.

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