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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. How late for work was Chick on the Monday morning after receiving the evidence of the family event he missed?

2. Why did Chick Benetto once wish his mother would leave him alone?

3. How did Posey often spend holidays after the divorce?

4. What does Chick stop at a convenience store to buy in Section 1?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What reason does Posey give for dumping food given to the family by nuns down the disposal?

5. Why is the word please carved into the side of tree?

6. To whose wedding is Chick Benetto not invited?

7. What one thing does Chick recall always made his parents happy?

8. What causes Chick's mother to stop playing her favorite record?

9. What question does the narrator pose at the end of the Introduction?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the writer's style. Discuss in detail the writer's choice to structure his book in the way he has, the use of the newspaper clips and lists, his choice of words, his use of dialogue, and his choice of chapter names. Discuss how each of these choices affects the reader's overall impression of the novel and the themes within the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Chick's father. Who is Chick's father? Why did Chick's father leave the family? How did divorce affect Chick's relationship with his father? How did baseball play a role in Chick's relationship with his father? How did baseball pull Chick and his father apart?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following themes in detail, citing examples from the novel:

1) Death

2) Suicide

3) Father-Son Relationships

4) Mother-Son Relationships

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 655 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample