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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. Where does Fix's brother Tom and his family live in Chapter 1?

2. Where is Bert from?

3. In Chapter 2, how long has Lomer been dead?

4. In Chapter 3, what grade is Cal in?

5. What was Heinrich's major in college?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 1, what is the scene in the kitchen after Fix greets Cousins and Fix goes to the kitchen?

2. Why does Franny want to know if Leon is staying at the hotel in Chapter 4?

3. How did Lomer die?

4. What does a mutual friend tell Teresa is Bert's reason for moving back to Virginia with Beverly?

5. What does Cousins discuss with Father Joe Mike at the christening party in Chapter 1?

6. Why is Leon Posen staying in Iowa City in Chapter 4?

7. In Chapter 4, why is Franny a cocktail waitress?

8. Why does Cousins decide to attend the christening party in Chapter 1?

9. How did Wallis die?

10. How many times has Beverly been married and to whom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 4, readers discover who Franny is and what motivates her. How does the author develop Franny’s character—through implicit or explicit details—and how does the way that Franny is portrayed reveal her strengths, weaknesses, motivations, conflicts, and personality?

Essay Topic 2

The way that events are remembered is affected by point and view and also by the way that characters recall events. How does the retelling of Cal’s death demonstrate how point of view and character recall affect the way that events are remembered? What other events also demonstrate how point of view and character recall affect memory?

Essay Topic 3

The novel is told from a third-person omniscient point of view. The stories that the narrator tells follow different characters. How does the point of view affect how the stories are told and what readers know about characters and events?

(see the answer keys)

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