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 "The Comforts of Home," what does Thomas ask the sheriff to do?

2. In "The Lame Shall Enter First," what does Sheppard believe is the worst fault a person can have?

3. In the story "Greenleaf," how do the May boys treat their mother?

4. In the story "A View of the Woods," what color does Fortune think the woods turn one evening?

5. In the story "The Comforts of Home," what nickname does Star give Thomas?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the white-trash woman in the story "Revelation."

2. In "The Lame Shall Enter First," how does Norton react when Rufus tells him about hell? Why?

3. In the story "Judgment Day," what does Tanner say will happen on judgment day?

4. In the story "Judgment Day," what do the two notes that Tanner writes instruct their readers to do?

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

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

7. In the story "A View of the Woods," how does Mary Fortune react when her father beats her?

8. In the story "A View of the Woods," what angers Mary Fortune about her grandfather's plan to sell a lot of his land?

9. In the story "Parker's Back," what inspires Parker to get his first tattoo?

10. In the story "The Comforts of Home," what motivates Thomas' mother to help Star?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Imagine if one of the stories in this collection was missing from it. Choose one of the stories and "remove" it from the collection. Write an essay:

1) explaining the role that the story plays in the collection;

2) describing how the collection would be different without the story;

3) comment on the quality of the novel without the story--would it be better or worse? Why?

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

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Because "Everything That Rises Must Converge" is a collection of independent short stories there is no one main character in the novel. However, there are some characters that seem to have a stronger presence than others. Select three characters you see as the main characters in the novel and:

1) describe the characters;

2) make an argument for why each is a main character;

3) describe what the novel would be like without these characters.

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 948 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample