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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 the cause of death of the man's oldest daughter?

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

3. Where is Dennis' stepfather's home located?

4. Why does Billy promise to send money?

5. Who is Mr. Holtzman's assistant in the shoe store?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Dennis take Billy to tell him the truth about Eva?

2. What arrangements has Dennis made to be at the Long Island house when Billy returns from Ireland in 1975?

3. What do Billy's relatives recall about him at the bar?

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

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

6. How does the relationship between the Irish girls and Dennis and Billy evolve?

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

8. Describe how Billy's behavior is not far fetched, given the post-war climate they live in.

9. What is the setting for Chapter 1?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the nature of this book and why the author created it the way she did. Why did she choose to create the book based on the perspectives of more than one person? Is it effective? How is it different from reading a regular novel? How is it the same?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the irony of Dennis' decision to tell Billy that Eva had died. What was Dennis intention? What was the short term result? What was the long term result? How did Dennis contribute to Benny's death? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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