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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 profession did Mason's nephew have?

2. What ends the relationship between Mason and Francis?

3. What is a distinguishing characteristic of Parker's body?

4. What kind of equipment is involved in Parker's accident?

5. Who comes to buy liquor at the still?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Francis have such difficulty living with Mason?

2. Why is Mr. Fortune so drawn to Mary and not his other grandchildren?

3. Why is Parker perplexed about his wife's reaction to his tattoo of God?

4. What irony does Francis discover about Mason's life after Mason's death?

5. Describe Mrs. Turpin's demeanor.

6. How does Mason die and who buries him?

7. With whom did Francis live before going to live with Mason?

8. What story does Francis tell the schoolteacher about Mason's death?

9. How does the schoolteacher react to Mason's death?

10. Explain the irony of Mr. Fortune's discipline of Mary.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of women in the rural South in the mid-twentieth century when the women in the stories are living their lives. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do the have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have?

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of Ruby Hill. What does she look like? What are her positive personality traits? What are some of her negative characteristics? What are her hopes and fears? What motivates her--if anything--at this point in her life?

Essay Topic 3

The author uses some important instances of flashbacks in the stories. Explain what a flashback is and cite at least two making sure to explain what makes each a flashback.

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This section contains 878 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample