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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. If you described Dodge's life, what would be the first thing you would notice?

2. Who does Halie tell Dodge they have to take care of?

3. What position did Dodge hold in the family?

4. Who hid under a blanket when they wanted to shut out the world?

5. Halie pretends to care for who?

Short Essay Questions

1. What proves that Halie is far from a care taking wife?

2. What are we told happened to Ansel?

3. How do the family members get along in the first act of this play?

4. In the first act, where are the characters?

5. Describe Tilden at the start of Act 1.

6. What is Halie's way of showing her apparent concern for Dodge?

7. What is Halie's frustration over the two brothers, Tilden and Bradley?

8. Who is the first character to appear in Act 1?

9. Why does Halie resent the Catholics?

10. What does Halie think about Ansel at the beginning of the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dodge was described as someone who didn't seem to have a lot of interest in life, and who seemed to be passive. Yet, he had things under his control. Is Dodge as dumb as he appears to be? Or is he very cunning while plotting a revenge towards Halie over the years?

Essay Topic 2

Let us look at the chosen setting for the story - a farm in Illinois. The chaos of the story greatly contrasts with the calm supposedly offered by a farm. Could a different setting have affected the story? Choose another setting and compare the impact with the farm setting.

Essay Topic 3

Who is Shelly and what is her personality? Was she too normal, hence she did not stand for the many weird circumstances around her? Was her reaction normal?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 550 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample