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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. To whom does Marion pray about help for Ghosh?

2. What does Stone do when he first sees Marion?

3. What does Marion do when he gets well?

4. How do the rich hospitals collect organs from Marion's hospital?

5. What does Rosina do when Marion returns home from the hospital?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Marion doing about Ghosh being in prison?

2. What happens when Popsy tries to operate during Marion's first surgery?

3. What do the nurses ask Marion to do when Popsy enters the operating room?

4. Who arrives while the family is celebrating Ghosh's return, and what does he do?

5. When are the family allowed to visit Ghosh in prison and what does he tell them?

6. What does Marion notice about Ghosh when Marion is in medical school, what does Ghosh tell him and what does Ghosh ask him?

7. What does Marion do to express his anger towards Stone?

8. How does Marion finally end up having sex with Genet, and what does she do after they are together?

9. Why is Genet in America, and why does Marion not beat her?

10. What does Stone tell Marion about how he ended up in Africa?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Cutting for Stone" belongs to fictional memoir genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the fictional memoir genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a fictional memoir and a historical novel mystery?

Essay Topic 2

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Abraham Verghese.

2. What in Verghese's background may have helped him in writing "Cutting for Stone"? What may have influenced the way he depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

Essay Topic 3

Stone shows up at Marion's door. He is clearly distraught and uncomfortable, but this is nothing compared to Marion's overwhelming feelings of anger and abandonment. Stone awkwardly tries to make conversation with Marion, who wants nothing more than to make his father suffer. In an unexpected attempt to explain himself to his son, Stone tells Marion his life story. Throughout his life, Thomas battled with anxiety, depression, and alcoholism, although he is a brilliant surgeon. Many years after his mother died, he met Sister Mary Praise, and fell desperately in love with her, although he didn't know it until it was too late. And then she died at Stone's hand, and he fled from Africa, overwhelmed with grief and guilt. He has found it impossible to cope with his emotions, to process the devastation he had inflicted in his own life, which is why he had never returned to claim his children.

1. Why do you think Marion feels such anger and feels abandoned by his father? Do you think his feelings are justified? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think Thomas Stone's explanation to Marion is reasonable? Do you think it justifies his behavior? Why or why not? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Thomas Stone has admitted to being an alcoholic. How do you think his alcoholism relates to his inability to cope with his emotions? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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