View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the main topic of conversation in the locker room before the game?

2. Why do Ben and Sammy spend Saturday night at lover's lane rather than the local hang out?

3. Who is Mr. Loring?

4. Who calls Ben a coward?

5. With whom has Sammy arranged dates for himself and Ben the day after Christmas?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Ben's biggest fear as he tries out for basketball?

2. What is Mess Night? What does it mean for the Meecham family?

3. Why does Bull criticize Ben's play during his first basketball game? How does Ben feel about this?

4. What is the focus of Sister Loretta's discussion on sex? How does Ben react to this discussion?

5. Why does Ben invite Mary Anne to the prom?

6. Why is Arrabelle frightened for Toomer in the aftermath of the rape?

7. Sammy arranges a date with a college girl by using a fake name. What does this say about Sammy's attitude toward women?

8. Why does Mary Anne call the bar where Bull and his squadron are drinking together, pretending to be Lillian?

9. How is Bull's behavior on Christmas morning in contrast with the story Mary Anne tells on Christmas Eve?

10. Who instructs the male students on sex during catechism? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does the Meecham family move to Ravenel? Why are the children unhappy about this move? What is different about this move than other moves the family has endured? Why does Mary Anne begin to cry in the car? Why does Mary Anne throw her tears at her father? What does Mary Anne blame her father for? Why is Mary Anne not afraid of her father? Should Mary Anne be afraid of her father? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Sammy's date is raped while they are on a date. Why does Sammy leave the girl to be raped? How could Sammy have helped the girl? Who rapes the girl? How does word of this rape cause trouble in Ravenel? Who do the locals blame for the rape? Is Sammy blamed? What happens to Sammy? How does this episode effect Ben?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,309 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample