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. What explanation does Annie give Francis, for why she never said anything about him dropping Gerald?

2. How did Katrina die?

3. What food does Katrina serve to Francis?

4. How did Francis become close to Katrina Daugherty?

5. In Chapter 5, why is Helen angry at Francis?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the vision Francis sees at Colonie Street.

2. How does Francis describe having met Helen when he was younger?

3. What does Francis buy from Rosskam, and what is its significance?

4. What memories does Rosskam’s sex talk evoke for Francis?

5. Who was Katrina Daugherty and what was her role in Francis’ life?

6. Describe Helen’s relationship with Arthur.

7. Explain the meaning of the attention Rosskam draws to Francis’ hands.

8. How did Helen’s mother and brother cheat her?

9. How does the narrative change in Chapter 5?

10. Describe Annie’s greeting when Francis arrives at her house.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the genre of Ironweed? What type of story is it, and how does it resist categorization? What kinds of evidence does William Kennedy give you, as a reader, for placing the novel in a genre category? Using examples from the text, make an argument for what category of novel Ironweed belongs to.

Essay Topic 2

What role does Francis’ baseball career play in Ironweed? Is the sport part of his bum lifestyle, or was it a period when he was something other than a bum? How does the novel reconcile Francis’ present life with the life he lived as a ball player?

Essay Topic 3

The American novel is typically centered on a character who believes in a fundamental innocence, and goes into the world to have experiences and find him or herself—but Ironweed is centered on Francis’ guilt over any number of things. How does Ironweed fit in the American canon?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,097 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample