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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 vices does Aunt Sister have?

2. What famous text do Russell and George use as a guide for their dealings with Mimi?

3. What does Russell list as his ambition in his high school yearbook?

4. At what age does Mimi run away from the orphanage for good?

5. What does Mr. Simmons do from the hole in the cellar ceiling?

Short Essay Questions

1. After Doris meets Audrey, what does Uncle Harold do for her?

2. After what event does Russell apply for the Navy?

3. How successful is Hal's lumber company?

4. After Belleville, where does the family move?

5. What class at school is torture for Russell, and why?

6. When Lucy announces she and Herb will marry, how does Russell feel?

7. What is odd about the family's new Baltimore home?

8. How do Russell and George view Mimi?

9. In 1939, who does Lucy begin dating?

10. What incident happens early one morning as Russell delivers his papers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the central themes of the work is Lucy's need for Russell to "make something of himself." How, throughout the novel, does she make him attempt to do so? What specific jobs does he have? What kinds of things does she teach him? Give examples of Lucy's quest from the text, explaining how each may have helped spur Russell on to the next step.

Essay Topic 2

Russell and Doris spend much of their childhood with Uncle Allen and Aunt Pat. Why does the family move in with them? Are they happy to have their relatives come? Why or why not? Why does Russell view them as an odd couple? What does Russell learn from Aunt Pat and Uncle Allen? What does Russell learn from Uncle Charlie and Uncle Hal?

Essay Topic 3

The novel has a huge list of characters. Choose four characters and write about how they influence Russell's life, worldview, personality, etc. Each character should have at least one full paragraph devoted to them. If you use quotations from the text be sure to cite your sources.

(see the answer keys)

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