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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. Upon getting home, why does Fred give up his first thought of suicide?

2. As Fred is preparing to hang himself in the basement, who arrives to speak with him?

3. Where is Selena Deal raised?

4. What sign hangs in the window of the local books and magazine store?

5. How much is Fred Rosewater worth dead?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In Chapter Nine, we meet Lila Buntline, Stewart and Caroline's daughter. What is Lila doing in the news store? How does she know Fred?

4. 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?

5. What book does Eliot keep hidden in his office, and why does he have such strong feelings about it?

6. Who is Harry Pena, and what are his different jobs? How does he behave toward Fred? What information is revealed about Fred in their meeting?

7. Stewart Buntline is a multi-millionaire who lives in Pisquontuit with his wife Amanita and daughter Lila. When he was younger, however, he had different plans. What were they, and what happened to them?

8. What does Noyes Finnerty tell Charley Warmergram has happened to Eliot?

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. How has Eliot prepared for his trip to see Sylvia in Indianapolis? What is his night like before leaving for the trip?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are two scenes that are high points in the novel: Eliot's argument with his father and his solution to the lawsuit he is facing. Which would you consider the climax of the novel and why?

Essay Topic 2

The narrator explains in the opening of the story that one of the main characters in the novel is money. Describe that character and it's function in the story.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the home of Caroline and Fred Rosewater. Where do they live? What is their house like? Compare their home to that of Eliot Rosewater, Fred's second cousin, and that of Amanita and Stewart Buntline. How do the three contrast with each other?

(see the answer keys)

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