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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. Where does the narrator describe "the fields of long grass around the shrinking meadow" in Book 2, Chapter 8: "The Ringing Grooves of Change"?

2. Where did Jaslyn attend college?

3. Why did Jaslyn purchase the photograph of the tightrope walker in Book 4, Chapter 12: "Roaring Seaward, And I Go"?

4. Who is revealed to be Ciaran's wife in Book 4, Chapter 12: "Roaring Seaward, And I Go"?

5. Where did Adelita first see Corrigan?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the protagonist’s childhood described in Book 3, Chapter 11: “All Hail and Hallelujah”?

2. How does Tillie Henderson describe her past and what led her to prostitution?

3. How would you describe the narrative style of Book 2, Chapter 7: “This is the House That Horse Built”?

4. What impact has Corrigan’s death had on Adelita’s perceptions of their relationship in Book 3, Chapter 10: “Centavos”?

5. What does Adelita savor in the end of Book 3, Chapter 10: “Centavos”?

6. How are Adelita’s first impressions of Corrigan described in Book 3, Chapter 10: “Centavos”?

7. Who is the protagonist of Book 3, Chapter 9: “Part of the Parts”? Where was this character previously introduced?

8. What trick involving birth dates is described in Book 2, Chapter 8: “The Ringing Grooves of Change”?

9. What is revealed of the tightrope walker’s fate in Book 3, Chapter 11: “All Hail and Hallelujah”?

10. Whose case is presented first in Book 3, Chapter 9: “Part of the Parts”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Gloria in the novel. When and where is Gloria introduced? How is her home described? What is Gloria’s past like? How does the theme of grief relate to Gloria?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the different depictions of Corrigan in Let the Great World Spin. How is Corrigan perceived differently by the characters that describe him in the novel? What aspects of Corrigan’s character stand out the most? Why do you think the author does not depict Corrigan from a first-person perspective in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Adelita’s story in Let the Great World Spin. How would you define Adelita’s central conflict in the narrative? Is this conflict resolved by the end of the novel? Why or why not?

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