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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 Tommy when he got lost in the city looking for the museum in "Survival of the Dunbar Boys"?

2. What did Henry refer to Matthew as in "The Grand Entrance"?

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

4. At what high school did Penelope work while raising her sons?

5. Where in the city did Carey's family live?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Tommy come to own Achilles?

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

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

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

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

6. What does the bridge signify in the novel?

7. Why does Clay blame himself for Carey's death?

8. How did Penelope respond when Matthew refused to practice piano in his youth?

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

10. Why did Clay begin disappearing after Penelope's death? What did Matthew do about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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?

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?

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