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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. While his bully was Irish, Russell's friends were ______.

2. What, according to the author, was the great Depression pastime?

3. What happens to Russell while trying to play on his first day in Newark?

4. To what brotherhood did Grandfather George belong?

5. Where does Lucy Elizabeth take the family when they leave Morrisonville?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Uncle Edwin do for a living?

2. Since he is unable to talk with his ailing mother, what does Russell realize about the past?

3. Where has Russell and his family gone to celebrate the hog-butchering season?

4. What has happened to Russell's mother?

5. What is Lucy Elizabeth's greatest wish for Russell, and how does she help him strive for his goals?

6. Explain the family's long lost fortune.

7. What is "powwowing"?

8. How does Russell learn about the birds and the bees?

9. What is the cause of Benny's death?

10. To whom does Lucy "give up" Audrey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Lucy's letters to and from Oluf. Though Russell did not discover these letters until later in life, they represent an important part of Lucy's history. Go through each letter provided in the text and make a chronicle of the relationship between Lucy and Oluf--what would such a relationship have meant to her? Why must the two break off the romance? Does young Russell notice anything amiss in their day to day life? Be sure to cite quotations from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Lucy's obsession with "a home of our own." Is this her ultimate goal? How does she work toward this goal? Choose three instances from the text to illustrate Lucy's desire for a home of their own. How does she finally achieve this goal? How does her achievement affect Russell's life?

Essay Topic 3

Reexamine Chapter 9. How could the Dickens quote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" be applicable to the family's life? Be sure to think about:

1) Money

2) Home

3) Happiness

4) Work

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 604 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample