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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. Where does Eddie wind up on his journey through death in Chapter Two?

2. What happens to the Freddie Fall car?

3. Whom does Eddie see in front of the freak show?

4. What dance does Eddie recall before the time he was crippled?

5. What do Eddie and the other two soldiers decide to do before escaping?

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss the significance of the title of Chapter Three, "The Arrival".

2. What are the first images the reader gets of Ruby Pier?

3. Before Eddie speaks to the little girl at the park, about what/whom was he daydreaming?

4. What is the significance, or lack of significance, of time in Heaven?

5. Discuss the significance of Albom's use of color in Chapter Two?

6. What is Eddie's role in the death of the Blue Man?

7. The readers learn that today is Eddie's birthday. What is his mood as the little girl approaches him in Chapter One?

8. In Chapter Six, what do the readers learn of Eddie's expectations of himself and from his life? Are these expectations met?

9. Eddie no longer feels any pain. Why might his loss of pain be significant to being in Heaven?

10. Discuss the foreshadowing of Uncle Mickey's character with regard to his actions towards Eddie on his fifth birthday.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Blue Man tells Eddie, "That there are no random acts. That we are all connected. That you can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind." (p. 48, ll. 1-3) Show how this quote is one of the main lessons throughout the novel. Be sure to cite at least three specific examples and connect them back to the quote.

Essay Topic 2

Mitch Albom effectively uses symbolism throughout the novel. Discuss why his use of color as a symbol works to help deliver the impact of the rising action.

Essay Topic 3

The reader first meets Eddie as an eighty-three year old man who performs maintenance at Ruby Pier. As the story unfolds, the reader learns of Eddie's younger years, and the action takes the reader back to the moment of his death when Eddie finally comes "home" to Heaven. Discuss how the novel comes full circle, being sure to reference several main points from Eddie's life.

(see the answer keys)

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