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 goes wrong on the flight?

2. What does Bull do when he learns of Ben's arrest?

3. Who does Bull blame for Ben's lack of a killer instinct?

4. Who fights Bull?

5. What happens when Ben and Sammy arrive to pick up their blackmail money?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Sammy see at lover's point? What does he hope to do with the information?

3. What is the significance of the story Mary Anne tells on Christmas Eve as the family waits for Bull to get ready for church?

4. Why does Ben injure a player from the opposing team during a basketball game?

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

6. How does being Jewish affect Sammy?

7. What is significant about the sexual discussions in the locker room?

8. Sammy's date is brutally raped after he is forced out of his car. What impact will this episode have on Sammy and the people of Ravenel?

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

10. Who is Junior Palmer?

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

Ben is man of the family in his father's absence. How is the family different with Ben in charge? How is the family the same? How is Ben like Bull? How is Ben different? Will Ben grow up to be his own man, or will he follow in his father's footsteps? How has Bull's early death affected the course of Ben's life? How might Ben's life been different had Bull not died the way he did?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Bull begin going to Hobie's Grill? What is significant about Bull's behavior in public compared to his behavior at home? Why is Bull different in public? What does this say about the behaviors of an abuser? How does this behavior make seeking help more difficult for the abuser's family? Is this behavior stereotypical? What other stereotypes exist in this book? List as many as you can.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,384 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample