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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. How many pictures of Grandmother Nye are hanging in the house?

2. Which of the following does Grandpa Nye not recall about his childhood days?

3. Where did Vanessa's great-great-grandparents eventually settle?

4. How are the lawns around Grandpa Nye's house described?

5. Who persuades Grandpa Nye's grandfather to move from Canada to Ohio?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Vanessa get especially melancholy about Uncle Joab?

2. What is especially poignant about the family's leaving Grandpa Nye's hospital room?

3. How do Vanessa and Lisa try to come to terms with the changes in their childhood home?

4. How does Vanessa's self esteem suffer from comparisons to other people?

5. How does the Nye family avoid the unpleasantness of Grandpa Nye's imminent death?

6. What does Grandpa Nye tell Vanessa about the DeGolyer branch of her family tree?

7. What does Lisa reveal about the troubles she is experiencing in her family life?

8. What aspect of history has always intrigued Grandpa Nye?

9. How does Vanessa's mother maintain appearances for her husband's sake?

10. What advice does Grandpa Nye give Vanessa about keeping company with rivers, lakes and books?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

Describe the overall setting for the story. Why does the author use the setting she does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Vanessa begins to show signs of maturity as the story evolves. Cite at least three examples that show that Vanessa is growing up and note why you selected the examples.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,020 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample