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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 old was the protagonist's father when he began helping his father plant corn in "And the Earth Did Not Devour Him"?

2. How does the boss attempt suicide in "The Children Couldn't Wait"?

3. What does the woman tell the children to watch out for as they cross the bridge in "It's That It Hurts"?

4. What did the boss do when the narrator's father told him what the narrator will be when he grows up in "It's That It Hurts"?

5. The narrator in "It's That It Hurts" says that in the first fight he had at school he got scared for what reason?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the cemetery described in "It's That It Hurts"?

2. From what narrative perspective is "A Silvery Night" related? Why do you think the author chose this perspective?

3. What happens when the protagonist goes to the knoll in "A Silvery Night"?

4. What becomes of the farmer after he shoots the boy in "The Children Couldn't Wait"?

5. Describe the narrative perspective of "The Lost Year." Why do you think this chapter is related in this way?

6. When does the narrator say that the protagonist first felt anger in "And the Earth Did Not Devour Him"?

7. What does the grandson say he wants most in life in "A Stroke Left the Grandfather Paralyzed..."? How does the grandfather respond?

8. What does the minister promise to the workers in "One Afternoon a Minister..."?

9. How does the narrator describe his humiliation upon arriving at the new school in "It's That It Hurts"?

10. Why does the "wetback" start coming to see Dona Bone in "Hand in His Pocket"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the language style of And the Earth Did Not Devour Him. What are examples of idioms or localized accents that are demonstrated in the novel? How does the characters' dialogue differ from the main text?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolism seen in "The Lost Year" and "What His Mother Never Knew..." How does the symbolism in these excerpts help to illustrate the characters in the novel? What imagery is used in these sections?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's inclusion of "vignettes" throughout And the Earth Did Not Devour Him. What is illustrated through these vignettes? How do these vignettes shape the mood and tone of the novel?

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