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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 what does Alphonse admit during questioning?

2. At what university had Abe and Fr. Cavanaugh met before?

3. What happened to make Diz essentially drop out of his life?

4. Instead of Sunday night, when does Rose recall Fr. Cavanaugh's last meeting with Eddie Cochran?

5. How does Steven Cochran feel about his place in his family?

Short Essay Questions

1. How has Glitzky's murder case unraveled at this point?

2. What might the death of Eddie Cochran teach Dismas about coming to terms with the death of his own infant son?

3. Why is Abe Glitsky intrigued to meet with Father Cavanaugh in Chapter 21?

4. How is Steven beginning to recover and what is his relationship with his parents now?

5. Explain the irony of Sam's doing the drug deal to get more money to keep Nika.

6. What are the circumstances of Sam Polk's death?

7. What surprises Abe when he meets Father Cavanaugh?

8. How does the Drug Enforcement Agency or DEA view the case of Eddie's death?

9. Dismas meets with Father Cavanaugh and does not realize that the priest reveals a huge piece of information in the case. What is it?

10. What does Big Ed share with Dismas about Father Cavanaugh and his place in the Cochran family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the significance of the novel's title. What did the author mean by calling the book DEAD IRISH? Cite an example to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the role of the family in DEAD IRISH. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? How typical is this family of most Irish families living during the late-20th century in America?

Essay Topic 3

Project into the future ten years and write a brief synopsis for the lives of Dismas, Jane, and the Cochrans. Be sure to include emotional states as well as physical characteristics, geographic locations, work, hobbies, and socialization.

(see the answer keys)

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