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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 kind of weather is said to have occurred the night before the novel's first events?

2. From what location does Silas gather items such as broken glass, molds made from tire tracks, and a piece of a marijuana cigarette?

3. What types of animals does Larry keep on his property?

4. Where does Larry go after he finishes the chore assigned to him by his father Carl?

5. How old had Larry been on the night of his date with Cindy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the symbolism of the mail truck?

2. For what reason does Silas drive in the direction of a cloud of buzzards he sees in Chapter 2?

3. What reason does Larry assume is behind Alice's instruction to Silas that he should stay away from Larry?

4. Discuss a moment in the text when Franklin causes the reader to wonder about Larry's role in the murders he is suspected by the community as having committed.

5. What nickname do the people of Chabot, Mississippi call Silas?

6. How is the theme of courage demonstrated within Chapter 5?

7. In what setting and era does Chapter 5 take place?

8. What had been the impetus for Silas and his mother's move out of south Chicago?

9. Describe French's character.

10. What is Silas's reaction when Larry tells a story about Cecil's reckless use of fireworks?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within the novel Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Explicate the theme of family bonds within the novel Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. What is Franklin's message regarding family bonds and how do you know?

Essay Topic 3

Look carefully at the passages of the novel that describe the close relationship between fear and persecution. What is Franklin's purpose for discussing at length the nature of the connection between these two themes?

(see the answer keys)

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