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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. How many short steps are included in the flight of the stairs leading to the cupola?

2. Albie is said to have "at least" told "part of the truth" (133) about the cupola to his grandson Chuck just before Chuck turned how old?

3. In the section entitled "December 18, 2020," Holly again visits which character?

4. On what object does the narrator of Act I: I Contain Multitudes blame the deaths of Chuck's parents?

5. What kind of person strokes his mustache when the section entitled "December 8-9, 2020" begins?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the term "orphant" (150) in Act I: I Contain Multitudes in the story entitled "The Life of Chuck"?

2. What is the significance of the phrase "Twirlers and Spinners" (143) in Act I: I Contain Multitudes of "The Life of Chuck"?

3. Who is Holly Gibney and what other novel written by Stephen King is referenced as featuring Holly as well?

4. Why does Holly travel to Portland, Maine in the story "If It Bleeds"?

5. How does the reader learn the way in which Chuck incurred the scar on his hand?

6. How did Chuck react to the sight he encountered inside the cupola when he entered it for the first time?

7. How did Chuck confirm in his own mind that his grandfather Albie's visions of the future were legitimate?

8. What sort of coping mechanisms does Holly use to cope with the effects of her past trauma?

9. What kind of person is Holly's mother and how do you know?

10. What is revealed to be the true source of Chuck's crescent-shaped scar?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Look carefully at the passages of If It Bleeds that describe strong marriage partnerships, such as the longtime union between Chuck's grandparents. What is King’s purpose for extensively portraying the characteristics of a strong marriage and its power to transform?

Essay Topic 2

Choose an object from If It Bleeds, such as the crescent-shaped scar on Chuck’s hand or some other symbolic object and discuss its overall meaning and its connection to themes within the text.

Essay Topic 3

What messages does King send about family bonds within the collection If It Bleeds and what specific stories or scenes are employed in order to send these messages to the reader?

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This section contains 1,405 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample