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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 Billy known for giving to people?

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

3. What does Dennis' daughter do when they return to the house?

4. Where had Billy worked after the war?

5. What does Matt offer Dennis' daughter?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. Explain the variances on the theme of love in Chapter 6.

3. What was Billy's habit of writing notes to people?

4. How has Dennis' mother, Sheila, finally feel happy in her life?

5. How do Dennis and Billy meet the two sisters from Ireland?

6. How does Dennis' daughter meet Matt?

7. What insight does this chapter provide about Billy's character?

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

9. What had Sheila's life been like after her parents died?

10. When does Billy find out the real truth about Eva?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Alcohol abuse seems to be an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the abuse? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? How does it affect the abusers? How does it affect those impacted by the abusers? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 2

Create a character study of Billy Lynch. What are his physical characteristics? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What are his dreams? What else can you say about Billy?

Essay Topic 3

Although Billy's true love was always Eva, he married Maeve because he knew she was a good, loyal woman. Explain whether Billy did Maeve a service or disservice by marrying her. Why would Maeve choose to live with a man who was not deeply in love with her? Did she do a service or disservice to herself by marrying Billy? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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