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| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Jack Boughton tells John during their meeting in the church, "I wish I could have been like ___________________ ."
2. What does John's wife give him at breakfast on his birthday, wrapped in tissue paper?
3. What does Jack tell John he realized about Boughton after Jack has returned home for this period?
4. Jack tells John that during the Civil War, Iowa had a specific kind of regiment. According to the Tennessean who spoke to Jack, what kind of regiment was it?
5. What does Jack call John's son?
Short Essay Questions
1. How does John describe the responsibility that comes from encountering another person?
2. What is the content of the conversation that Jack and Lila have as John feigns being asleep?
3. How does John recall Jack's baptism?
4. What is the nature of the conversation John and Boughton have while Lila, their son, and Glory have gone to the movies?
5. Describe the nature of the letters Edward is sending home to his father and brother.
6. What are John's thoughts on "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine"?
7. John states that he doesn't forgive Jack, writing "I wouldn't know were to begin." What provokes this statement?
8. Describe John's birthday.
9. What are some of John's reflections about Jack as a youth?
10. Describe Della's family situation.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
C. S. Lewis wrote a partial autobiography, "Surprised by Joy," in 1955. This same concept, of being surprised by feelings of joy, elation, or even peace, is a common thread in "Gilead." Describe evidences in John's life that show that many times he was "surprised by joy," and how this gives understanding into both his character and how he responds to various situations in the book.
Essay Topic 2
"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 3
In the section encompassing pages 86 - 104, an image of communion is presented, as it is throughout the novel. Consider the significance of this ritual outside the walls of a church. Discuss what the implication of this event is, especially in light of the theme of the relationship between fathers and sons outside the realm of religion. Factor in, too, the relationship between John and Jack.
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This section contains 877 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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