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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 "The Enduring Chill," what does Asbury try to converse with Father Finn about?

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

3. In "The Lame Shall Enter First," why does Norton spend so much time looking through the telescope?

4. In the story "Parker's Back," which of the following is not something that bothers Parker about his wife?

5. In the story "Revelation," how does the doctor subdue the teenage girl?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In the story "Greenleaf," how do the Greenleafs come to live on the May farm?

4. At the end of the story "The Comforts of Home," what does the sheriff surmise actually happened to Thomas' mother?

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

6. In the story "The Enduring Chill," how does the author characterize the relationship between Mary George and Asbury?

7. In the story "Judgement Day," how does Tanner die?

8. In the story "Revelation," what does Mrs. Turpin say is the problem with farming cotton?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

In any collection of short stories there is at least one story that readers do not enjoy reading. Select the one story in the collection that you think the author could have "done without" and write an essay:

1) explaining why the author should have removed the story from the collection;

2) detailing what the impact of removing the story would be.

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

Essay Topic 3

"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.

(see the answer keys)

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