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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. Does Marion apologize to the Haefle’s that her children came to the party without her permission?

2. Why is Frances avoiding talking to Russ, after their sexual tension starts to fade?

3. How does the fight start between Laura and Becky?

4. What pet name does Marion call Russ to infuriate him, after their argument?

5. When Marion told Sophie of Marion’s abortion, Sophie acted how towards Marion?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Russ feel when Marion rejects him in bed for the first time?

2. Why does Marion want to confess her unrequited love of Bradley to her son Perry?

3. What is the “experiment” that Frances wants to do with Russ?

4. What happened to the Blues records that Frances borrowed from Russ?

5. What does Marion say to Clem when he says that he is going into the military to go to the Vietnam War?

6. Why does Charlie Durochie call Russ a nickname while he worked on the Navajo lands, and what was the story behind it?

7. Explain how Russ’s relationship with Rick Ambrose goes from love, to hate to love over the course of the novel.

8. Who sees Tanner kissing Becky in Tanner’s van? What does this character do with this information?

9. Why does Russ’s father never forgive Russ’s grandfather Opa Clement?

10. What signal does Russ get that Frances is lusting in her heart for him as he is lusting after her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that recalls all of the reasons that Perry gives to show that he is doomed, and that his life has little hope of getting better.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay detailing the reasons why Marion released Russ to be happy on his own and pursue a relationship with Frances. Why was Marion happy that Russ was trying to have an affair with Frances?

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)

This section contains 1,005 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample