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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 momentous event took place at Kibbee’s lumberyard?

2. What is Helen humming when she wakes up in the morning and starts to walk?

3. How long did Francis and Annie court before they married?

4. Where does Francis ask Rosskam to stop his wagon?

5. What does Katrina tell Francis her poet sees?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe Helen’s relationship with Arthur.

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

4. How does Francis characterize the difference between Annie’s kiss and Katrina’s?

5. How did Helen’s father’s death change her life?

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

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

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

9. How does the narrative change in Chapter 5?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Where is the climax of this book? Are there different climaxes? What questions does each climax resolve? What questions does each climax leave unanswered?

Essay Topic 2

In what ways is Ironweed relevant to contemporary readers? What contemporary issues are in play in the book, and how would the book contribute to contemporary discussion? Cite specific discussions from contemporary sources, and cite specific instances from the book that describe its contemporary relevance.

Essay Topic 3

The ending of the novel is ambiguous, but there are clues throughout the novel about whether it might be read optimistically or pessimistically. What indications does Kennedy give the reader about what to make of the ending? What conclusion do you come to about the conclusion?

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