View a FREE sample

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 "Greenleaf" why does Mrs. May freeze when she sees the bull coming across the pasture?

2. In the story "Revelation," where does Mrs. Turpin go when Claud takes the farm workers home?

3. In the story "Parker's Back," what must Parker say to get Sarah Ruth to let him back in the house?

4. In the story "Everything That Rises Must Converge," how much did Julian's mother pay for her new hat?

5. In the story "Greenleaf," how does Mrs. May plan on trapping the bull?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the story "Parker's Back," why doesn't Sarah Ruth want Parker to have the Bible tattooed on his back?

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

3. Describe Julian's mother's hat in the story "Everything That Rises Must Converge."

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

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

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

7. Describe what happens to Julian's mother when she offers a penny to the black child in the story "Everything That Rises Must Converge."

8. Describe the tractor accident in the story "Parker's Back."

9. In "The Lame Shall Enter First," what does Norton do when looking through the telescope alone at night?

10. In the story "The Enduring Chill," why does Father Finn say Asbury is ignorant?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the themes in the collection of short stories "Everything That Rises Must Converge" is that of past vs. present. Select three of the stories dealing with this theme and:

1) explain what the story says about the past and the present;

2) demonstrate how the theme is developed in the story.

Then explain what you think Flannery O'Connor's overall commentary on past vs. present is in the novel as a whole.

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

Essay Topic 2

Flashbacks play an important role in the development of characters in this novel. Choose two of the flashbacks presented in the novel and:

1) describe each flashback;

2) describe the significance of the flashback on the person remembering the scene;

3) analyze the placement of this flashback at this point in the narrative--why does the author choose to include the flashback at this point in the story?

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 1,077 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample