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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. Why was Billy in trouble with the politicians?

2. What literary term describes the jump back to an earlier time at the beginning of Chapter 6?

3. How does Helen prefer to think of her sins?

4. What does Francis imagine when Rosskam stops his wagon in Chapter 4?

5. What year was Francis born in?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How do Francis’ kids react to seeing him?

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

4. How is Helen’s death different from other deaths in Ironweed?

5. What was Francis’ mother’s relationship with Katrina Daugherty like?

6. What kind of peace does Francis make with Annie?

7. What does Rosskam tell Francis about his sex life?

8. Describe the vision Francis sees at Colonie Street.

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

When is Ironweed most itself? What is its characteristic passage, or moment? What makes that moment or passage the most representative of the book as a whole? Are there any places where the book seems to depart from its typical self, as if to become a different book?

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate your own reading of Ironweed—did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 3

Write a character sketch of the author based on his style and content. What values does he hold dear? What are his hopes and fears? What kind of person do you think he is? Anchor your sketch in passages in the book.

(see the answer keys)

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