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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. In the story "Revelation," which of the following is not a compliment the farm workers give Mrs. Turpin?

2. In the story "Parker's Back," what does Parker decide to do after his mother takes him to a religious revival?

3. In the story "Revelation," what does Mrs. Turpin notice about the old woman sitting next to the child?

4. In the story "The Comforts of Home," what does Star threaten to do if Thomas throws her out of the house?

5. In the story "Greenleaf," what relationship does the "colored man" on the Greenleaf boys' farm have with the Mays?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the story "Parker's Back," what does Parker do between the two tattooing sessions necessary to complete his tattoo of Jesus?

2. Describe Mrs. Greenleaf's process for faith-healing in the story "Greenleaf."

3. Describe Mary Fortune's appearance in the story "A View of the Woods."

4. In the story "Parker's Back," how does Parker change as the result of his tattoo of Jesus?

5. In the story "The Comforts of Home," what bothers Thomas about Star?

6. In the story "A View of the Woods," why does Mary Fortune attack her grandfather for beating her but not her father?

7. In the story "The Enduring Chill," who does Asbury believe is responsible for his failure as an artist? Why?

8. What does the narrator say is the "irony" of the way Julian has turned out in the story "Everything That Rises Must Converge"?

9. Describe the black woman who sits next to Julian on the bus in the story "Everything That Rises Must Converge."

10. In the story "Everything That Rises Must Converge," why is Julian so disgusted with his mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Everything That Rises Must Converge" offers a commentary on aging. Select two of the stories dealing with aging characters and write an essay:

1) describing the aging characters;

2) explaining the significance of their age on the story's plot;

3) explaining what commentary you think the author is making on aging.

Be sure to use specific examples from the stories to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

One of the recurrent topics in the collection of short stories "Everything That Rises Must Converge" is family. Select three of the stories dealing with this topic and:

1) explain what the story says about family;

2) demonstrate how the concept of family is developed in the story.

Then explain what you think Flannery O'Connor's overall commentary on family is in the novel as a whole. Be sure to use specific examples from the stories to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Select the story in the collection that you most identify with. Write an essay explaining:

1) why you selected this story;

2) what is significant to you about the story;

3) how the story reflects your personal beliefs.

Be sure to use specific examples from the stories to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 980 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample