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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 Sammy plan to do with the knowledge of what he saw at lover's lane?

2. What person does Ben think of during the tryouts?

3. Who tells Ben she often thinks of dying?

4. Why does Bull send Ben to his room?

5. What does Bull do to help Ben when Ben goes to save Toomer?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does being Jewish affect Sammy?

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

3. Why does Mr. Loring tease Ben in his English class? How does Ben feel about this attention?

4. Bull dies a hero. How does this affect the family dynamics?

5. Why does Ben go to Toomer's even after Bull refuses to allow him to go?

6. Whom does Ben recall during try outs? What impact did this man have on Ben's life? What was Bull's role in this relationship?

7. Why does Bull agree to have one his men beat up a man in another squadron? What does this say about Bull's character?

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

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

10. Is there a difference between loving Bull and accepting his cruel behavior?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Ben's relationship with Bull like? What does Bull's behavior on Ben's birthday say about their relationship? What is Ben's role in the family? How is this role illustrated throughout the novel? What does this family dynamic say about the entire Meecham family?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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