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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 Malcolm's last name?

2. What nickname was born in the conversation between Matthew and Clay after Clay had been tracked down in the end of "The Searchers"?

3. How long after Penelope's death did Michael disappear altogether from his family?

4. Who came to tend to Clay and Henry's wounds in "Peter Pan"?

5. Who had beaten Henry up in "The Grand Entrance"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the bridge signify in the novel?

2. What is the framing device that is used in the novel?

3. How is Ted Novac described?

4. How did Carey ultimately begin training as a jockey?

5. What is significant about the night that Clay and Carey spend together at The Surrounds in Part 6?

6. What illness did Penelope develop and how did it affect her?

7. Who is Jimmy Hartnell and what role does he play in the novel?

8. What is the symbolic significance of the mattress at The Surrounds?

9. Why is Henry beaten up when he arrives home after Clay's return in Part 5?

10. How did the Dunbar boys feel about playing piano? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the symbolism of the piano in Bridge of Clay. Who bought the piano? What aspects of the piano in its present form are important? What does the piano represent to the characters in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Identify three examples of imagery in Bridge of Clay (simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, etc.). What is being described? How does each example serve the reader? What effects do these comparisons have?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the character of Clay Dunbar in Bridge of Clay. What is Clay's main objective in the narrative? Does he achieve this objective? How does Clay grow as a character in the course of the novel?

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