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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. What does John's father bury and tell him not to dig up?

2. What did John's father give him every time he learned five scripture verses and could repeat them without a mistake?

3. What was Boughton's childhood name?

4. What do the old men in John's church call his son?

5. What was John's father's name?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are John's thoughts upon hearing a waltz on the radio?

2. Briefly recount the story John's grandfather and his friends used to tell about the citizens of a little abolitionist town.

3. What are some of the key aspects of John's life that he recounts to his son?

4. What are some of John's comments on water?

5. How does John describe being "imperishable"?

6. What are John's feelings about baseball, and what incidents contributed to those feelings?

7. Describe some of the events John and his father faced in their journey to Kansas.

8. What three things does seeing Jack playing catch with John's son remind him of?

9. What is the contrast between John's father and his grandfather's views on war?

10. How does John view Jack Boughton prior to his coming?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Gilead" has a structure like few other novels. Discuss why Robinson chose to not use chapters or other obvious breaks, how this adds or takes away from an understanding of the book, and how such a narrative propels the plot. Consider: Could "Gilead" have been improved by the inclusion of chapter breaks or other demarcations?

Essay Topic 2

John's grandfather's personal belongings - specifically, the gun and the two shirts - can be considered potent symbols. Discuss what these items might be symbolic of, how other family members respond to them. Consider especially John's mother and father's response.

Essay Topic 3

The last section of the book, pagers 233 - 247, contains the book's climax. There are three stages to this climax. Identify and discuss each one of these stages.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 747 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample