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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 Bull goad Ben into doing at the Officer's Club?

2. Who does Ben leave with?

3. What game does Ben challenge Bull to?

4. Where does Ben meet Bull the night of his eighteenth birthday?

5. What does the principal do to Ben?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Toomer? Why does Ben believe his mother encouraged him to go fishing with Toomer?

2. Who is Arrabelle Smalls and why has she come to the Meecham home?

3. How does Bull react when he loses the basketball game against Ben?

4. In Chapter 7, what does Bull do to wake his family? Why?

5. What does Bull's behavior at Hobie's say about his personality?

6. Why does Bull sign his children up for Catechism classes?

7. Why are the Meecham children less than enthusiastic about their father's return after a year's deployment?

8. Who comes to Ben's aid after school when Red and his brothers attack him?

9. Why does Bull want Ben to date Ansley Matthews? How does Ben feel about this date?

10. Why does Ben challenge Bull to a basketball game?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who does Mary Anne most resemble, Lillian or Bull? Give some examples of this. Why does Mary Anne continuously attempted to goad her father? What does Mary Anne want from Bull? Why does Mary Anne talk about the future with such despair? Does Mary Anne really believe she will end up like her mother? Why? Is this why Mary Anne speaks of suicide?

Essay Topic 2

Why does Lillian never leave Bull? Does Lillian love Bull? Does Lillian condone Bull's behavior toward her and the children? Is Lillian an abused wife? List some examples of this abuse. Is Bull abusive toward the children? Why does Lillian not do more to protect her children? What does this say about Lillian's personality?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of coming of age. Name a few examples of this theme in the novel. Ben turns eighteen during this novel. Is this part of his coming of age? Does age have anything to do with maturity? What else effects Ben's change, his maturity? How does Ben's maturing change his relationship with others in the novel? What about Mary Anne? How does she mature in this novel? Does she change as much as Ben? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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