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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 Grandmother remember visiting in the area when she was young?

2. Where does the Grandmother tell her son they should not go on vacation?

3. What does The Misfit do when he sees the cat?

4. Why is Bailey so impatient?

5. How does O'Connor describe the Misfit's car?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does Grandmother's death affect the Misfit?

2. Is it significant Misfit claims he cannot remember his crime?

3. Why do you think the Misfit does not kill Grandmother until the end?

4. What does Grandmother mean when she says that Misfit is one of her own children?

5. In what way is it ironic that the Grandmother decided to take the cat on the trip?

6. Describe Misfit's life?

7. How does the Misfit interpretation of the bible contrast to the Grandmother's?

8. Why do you think that the Misfit cannot remember the reason he is in prison?

9. Why do you think Bailey has such a negative attitude towards his mother?

10. In what way does O'Connor describe the three men approaching their car in ominous terms?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Imagine you were faced with a serial killer. How would you react? Where do you think Bailey and his family went wrong?

Essay Topic 2

The short story is set in the 1950s. What concerns and political problems were there in the fifties? Does O'Connor reflect them in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the difference between a novel and a novella in regards to:

1) Language

2) Character

3) Structure

(see the answer keys)

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