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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. Why did Posey choose a tree to place her prayer in?

2. What does Posey tell Chick this word is supposed to represent?

3. What did Chick's mother often slip to Chick whenever she dropped him off somewhere?

4. When is the first time Chick heard the word divorcee as a child?

5. Who does Chick find looking at him as he recovers from his jump in section 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did the narrator later find belonging to Chick Benetto that was used in writing this book?

2. What offends Chick when a man calls his mother a divorcee?

3. Why did Chick's parents feel the need to get married quickly?

4. Who does Chick see when he jumps from the water tower?

5. What event caused Chick Benetto to lose faith in himself?

6. What draws Chick's attention to the table top in his mother's kitchen as his mother treats his wounds?

7. What was Posey's profession at the time of the divorce?

8. What is Posey's reaction to Chick's insistence that her presence in the house is impossible?

9. When did Chick say he felt he became a Mommy's boy?

10. Why did Chick have a problem with how his mother would leave him at school?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss symbolism. Chick's father gives him a pair of old shoes that he once used while playing ball. Discuss the significance of these shoes and how the author uses them as a symbol of Chick's life and of his relationship with his father.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Chick Benetto. Who is Chick Benetto? How does Chick deal with the death of his mother? How did his father's actions keep Chick from being with his mother at the end of her life? How did Chick feel about this situation? Why? Why did Chick's marriage fall apart? Why did Chick's daughter cut him out of her life? What are the consequences of these actions?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss ghost stories. Why does the narrator suggest this novel might be a ghost story? Is this novel a ghost story? Who are the ghosts? Are they scary ghosts? Is this novel meant to frighten the reader? Explain. How do the ghosts in this novel change the course of the main character's life? Is this a good change?

(see the answer keys)

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