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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. Who does Becky tell about her growing feelings for Tanner?

2. When Clem is stressed about college school work, what does he do instead of studying?

3. Clem defends kids at school who were called what?

4. Clem’s girlfriend Sharon is what level grade student at college?

5. When Bradley breaks up with Marion, he tells her she was what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Clem realize Russ is “blackening” Rick Ambrose’s name?

2. Why does Marion believe that her “acting had mesmerized Bradley Grant,” and does this make her more like her actress sister Shirley?

3. What does Frances want to do with the marijuana she finds in Larry’s bedroom?

4. Why does Russ refuse to talk to Ambrose after Russ’s humiliation event?

5. What is the reason Ronnie’s mother becomes so angry with Frances for drawing with her son Ronnie?

6. What happens to Sharon when Clem breaks up with him?

7. How is Judson treated as a character in the novel?

8. Why does Russ wear his old work coat when he is around Frances?

9. Why does Shirley give $13,000 to Becky in a will as an inheritance?

10. What effect does the author present by mentioning Russ’s “humiliation” in the early pages of the book, but not explaining what happened for several hundred pages into the reading?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the ways that Russ justified being infatuated with the widow Frances and wanting to sleep with her, based on what Russ blamed his wife Marion for in their marriage.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay explaining the development of the relationship with siblings Clem and Becky. How did their close brother and sister relationship change to move them apart during the course of the novel? Why did Becky grow to hate Clem, and what brought them back together at the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring how Russ’s early years as a Mennonite helped to shape his ideas of forgiveness of sin for himself and for his wife Marion, who was raised as a Catholic.

(see the answer keys)

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