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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 do Dennis and Billy see on the beach?

2. What was the man's profession?

3. What is the employment of one of the girls?

4. Where did Sheila work when she quit school?

5. What does Matt offer Dennis' daughter?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Billy's promise to Eva come about?

2. What is the Long Island house and how did Dennis come to own it?

3. Why does Dennis want to protect Billy's dream of Eva from his mother, Sheila?

4. What is the irony of Billy's picking out shoes for Eva and her sister on the same day that Maeve comes into the store to buy shoes?

5. What shocking news had Dennis received from Eva's sister, Mary?

6. What is the irony of Billy's alcoholism?

7. Explain the irony of Billy's stopping to see Dennis when he returns from Ireland.

8. How does Dennis' desire to see Billy succeed impact Dennis negatively?

9. What job do Dennis and Billy take on after they return from the war in 1945?

10. How did Billy meet Maeve?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Project into the future ten years after the end of the novel and write a brief synopsis for the lives of four of the characters. Remember to exclude Billy but you may choose from Maeve, Eva, Dennis, Dennis' daughter, Sheila, etc.

Essay Topic 2

In keeping with the title of CHARMING BILLY, what exactly did Billy do to earn that title? Cite three examples that support Billy's charm. Why did the author name the book CHARMING BILLY instead of something more haunting and perhaps more fitting for Billy's life?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of religion in the characters' lives. What is the primary religion of the main characters? How do the characters practice their faith? Does it shake them when their faith waxes and wanes in their lives? Cite examples.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,065 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample