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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 far from the area being searched by the search parties has Trisha traveled?

2. In Trisha's dream, what does the cellar door lead to?

3. How far into the trail does the family walk when Quilla and Pete begin to argue?

4. What do Trisha and her father sit on in in her dream?

5. Who does Trisha imagine is in the woods protecting her?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Trisha think there is no chance of her getting lost?

2. Why does Trisha become optimistic about the day that she and her family go on a hike?

3. What does Quilla tell Trisha about avoiding mosquitoes?

4. Why does Trisha begin to feel invisible while she is on the trail with her mother and brother?

5. How does Larry feel about Tom Gordon?

6. What does Trisha think about the trail when she walks it with her family?

7. What does Trisha hear on the news when she first turns her radio on?

8. What does Trisha learn from "Little House on the Prairie"?

9. Why do Quilla and Pete fight so much?

10. How does Larry describe his ex-wife?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the dream Trisha has where she is at Larry's house in Malden. Why do you think she has such a vicious dream about her father? What does his taunting imply? What could this dream mean for Trisha? What is the significance of the wasps' nest Trisha finds behind the cellar door?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, Trisha searches for something to believe in. Describe three instances where she searches for a higher power in some way and explain their relevance to the novel. Why does Trisha have such a desire to believe in something?

Essay Topic 3

Explore the minor characters Jerry Trupiano and Joe Castiglione, How are they significant to Trisha and to the novel as a whole? What is the relevance of the dream Trisha has about them after her Walkman batteries die?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 633 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample