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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 was the local group that donated toys and household items to fire victims in the town where Michael grew up?

2. What three words did Clay say while looking back at his work before walking to the town in "The Boy With Bleeding Hands" (196)?

3. How was Michael Dunbar's dog killed?

4. What color are Michael's mother's glasses described as in "The Murderer Wasn't Always a Murderer"?

5. What month was it when Penelope finally braved knocking at Michael's door for the first time?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Michael Dunbar grow up? Who raised him?

2. Who does "the Murderer" refer to and why does he come to the Dunbar home?

3. How does irony apply to Penelope's piano in Part 4?

4. What inner conflicts does Clay face regarding returning home after he has spent time at his father's home?

5. Where is Michael's home and the bridge site located? How is this setting described?

6. What is the significance of the calendar that Michael got as a child?

7. What essential information is related in the prologue of the novel?

8. Where did Penelope go after fleeing the Eastern Bloc as a refugee?

9. How did Clay obtain Michael's address?

10. What is the significance of The Quarryman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the setting of The Surrounds. Where is this setting located in relation to the Dunbar home? Who frequents this setting? Why? How is the setting described? What does it symbolize?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolism of the typewriter in Bridge of Clay. Who originally owned the typewriter? Where is it found by Matthew? What does it mean to the Dunbar family?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the impact of Penelope's death on the Dunbar family. How did each member of the family cope with this loss? Who was affected the most by Penelope's death? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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