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. How does Lonnie think of Granddad?

2. According to Granddad, what does Hud lack the power to do?

3. What do Lonnie and Jesse discuss?

4. Who does Lonnie decide to visit?

5. What does Lonnie watch?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the preacher's sermon about Granddad.

2. How does Hud act the day after Granddad's death?

3. Where does Granddad send Lonnie and Jesse, and what do they discuss?

4. What do Lonnie, Jesse and Halmea do and what makes Halmea laugh so hard?

5. What is wrong with the porch?

6. What does Lonnie discover when he investigates Hud's shouts?

7. What does Lonnie think when he hears a shot and what does he subsequently find?

8. How is Hud when he arrives home and why is he angry?

9. What does Granddad have in the barnyard and what is the significance?

10. Why does Lonnie hide and what does he do the day after Granddad's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the Prologue, Lonnie reminisces about his childhood on his family ranch in Texas, and how times have changed. He remembers how much slower life was before the arrival of mass communication. Discuss one of the following:

1. Using details from the book, compare/contrast life on the Texas ranch in the mid-1950s with how you would project life would be in the early 21st century on a Texas ranch.

2. Many people, especially as they go into their middle and senior years, idealize childhood. Do you think Lonnie is idealizing his childhood? Why or why not? Why do you think many people idealize their past? Do you think Lonnie's childhood is ideal?

3. Lonnie says that technology has pushed aside the rural way of life, changing things forever. Do you believe that technology and the rural way of life are incompatible? Discuss using details from the book and from other sources.

Essay Topic 2

The readers learn in chapter 6 that Lonnie's father had accidentally killed Lonnie's grandmother (his father's mother) while trying to save her from a rattler. Later, in chapter 13, Hud shoots and kills Granddad. Discuss the following:

1. Define the words matricide and patricide and research several examples from literature or real life, discussing them briefly.

2. How do you think the accidental killing of his mother affected Lonnie's father? Can you see evidence of how this affected Lonnie as he grows older?

3. Do you think there is evidence in Granddad's character and behavior to demonstrate how the death of his wife affected him? What sort of evidence and how do you think the tragic events of the past influence Granddad in raising Lonnie?

3. In a sense, Granddad is Hud's father. Is Hud's killing of Granddad patricide? What do you think are his motives? Is it mercy? Why do you think Hud is cradling Granddad in his lap? If Hud was going to shoot Granddad from the time they find Granddad, do you think he would have sent his girlfriend for help?

4. Do you think Lonnie's father should have been arrested for involuntary manslaughter? Would he have been charged with that in this day? Should Hud be arrested for shooting Granddad? Would he be treated differently today? If Hud's motives were truly out of compassion and knowing Granddad would not want to live, is killing him different than what Kevorkian does?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Halmea's relationship with Hud. What are the predominant emotions the two feel towards each other? How does Hud use Halmea to make himself feel better? What are the reasons for Hud raping Halmea (both those stated and those implied). Is the relationship only based upon power?

2. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Halmea's relationship with Lonnie. How does Lonnie view Halmea? Is the relationship healthy? Would Lonnie have the same relationship with Halmea if Lonnie's mother were still alive? What if Lonnie had a girlfriend?

3. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Halmea's relationship with Granny. How does Granny view Halmea? Halmea view Granny? Is there any caring between the two? Is the relationship only based upon power? Does Granny care about Halmea?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,164 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample