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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 man assumes the pseudonym of John Rosewater?

2. What news does Senator Rosewater deliver to his son when he comes to visit him?

3. Who is the first person to visit Eliot on the day of his journey to Indianapolis?

4. How long does Eliot tell his father he has questioned his own sanity?

5. What does Fred do with his father's written bequest?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Fred comes home, what happens that makes him think of suicide? What keeps him from killing himself?

2. While he is at the news store counter having coffee and Danish with the carpenters and plumbers of the town, Fred tells a story that ends with someone saying to him "God bless you, Mr. Rosewater." Why does the person say this?

3. Delbert Peach comes to Eliot's office and tells him he is certain Eliot will never return. Why does Mr. Peach think Eliot will not return, and how does Eliot respond?

4. Harry Pena and his sons are on a fishing boat which is visible from the dining room of The Weir. What do customers see from the vantage point of their windows? What does Harry do about this situation?

5. During his father's visit, Eliot takes a call from someone in the town. What do the two of them discuss while his father is there listening?

6. Describe Caroline Rosewater's luncheon experience at the Weir. How is she treated? How does she feel?

7. In the end, Eliot outsmarts Mushari and others who think he is idealistic and insane. How does he do this?

8. Who is Fred Rosewater? How is he related to the Rosewater family in Indiana? What does Fred do for a living?

9. Kilgore Trout puts his "spin" on Eliot's life in Rosewater. How does he explain Eliot's work for the people of Rosewater?

10. Eliot's father arrives at his office on the morning of his departure, and it is a complete surprise to Eliot. Eliot is happy to see his father, but the feelings are not mutual. Why has the Senator come to see his son? What happens during their visit?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Eliot's analogy of the Money River. How does his analogy compare to society? Can anyone get ahead if there is indeed a Money River?

Essay Topic 2

The title of the book is God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, or Pearls Before Swine. Discuss these two phrases: how they appear in the novel, what they mean, and why the author chose this title.

Essay Topic 3

In her letter to Daddy Parrot, Selena explains to him the people with whom she lives, the Buntlines. At the end of her letter, she says perhaps she is too dumb to understand what is wonderful about Pisquontuit. She says to him "maybe this is a case of pearls before swine, but I really don't see how." What does she mean by this? Why is this saying part of the title of the novel?

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