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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. Who has a wooden leg?

2. Halie pretends to care for who?

3. Who's life is centered on a couch, television, and a bottle?

4. What seemed to be just below the surface of this family's relationship?

5. What character was on stage during Act one?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Tilden at the start of Act 1.

2. What's one indication that Tilden is not his self and disturbed?

3. Why do you think Tilden acts the way he does?

4. What might be Bradley's reasons for being so mean?

5. How are Dodge and Halie presented in the first act?

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

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

8. What are we told happened to Ansel?

9. What explanation does Halie for spending time with Father Dewis?

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

Tilden's wife, or Vince's mother was never mentioned in the story. Who could it have been? Was it possible that Halie was Vince's mother and grandmother? What is the information that can support your answer?

Essay Topic 2

Halie and Tilden had an incestuous affair that led to the birth of a baby boy, whom Dodge kills and buries in the backyard. Could this incident have triggered all the dysfunction in the family? Or was it already present from the beginning?

Essay Topic 3

Vince was left with the farm and the house. What can the future be with Vince as the head of the family? Paint scenarios based on what the story says about Vince.

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This section contains 446 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample