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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. Who is Ben's favorite nurse?

2. What does Vern ask of McLeish in Part I?

3. Who are the other people Jo performs with in Part I?

4. Who does Vern make fun of in the restaurant that makes McLeish uncomfortable?

5. Who physically intervenes to save Ben from a possible beating in Part II?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Vern like as a child, and how does his childhood temperament relate to his adult one?

2. What is unusual about the way Jo experiences music?

3. Who does Vern become distracted by during his business dinner in Part I and why does this happen?

4. Why does the doctor and medical students analyze Ben's case in Part II?

5. What reasons does Spufford imagine that might have prevented the Woolworth's bombing?

6. Why is Trevor upset with Ben in Part II?

7. Who encourages Mike not to fight with Ben and Trevor, and why does she do this?

8. Why does Alec's mentor have some misgivings about him going into the line of work he has chosen?

9. What does Ben become obsessed with in Part II that takes over his life?

10. What is one action Alec focuses on and participates in in his organizing work in Part II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Of the five main characters - Val, Jo, Vern, Alec, and Ben - which one do you think experiences the most significant growth or change over the course of his or her life? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Who passes by the old Woolworth's building as an elderly woman, and what unusual and almost supernatural quality or characteristics does Spufford imbue the building with at that time? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How do each of the five main characters' financial situations change over the course of the novel, and how important is money to each of them in making significant choices in their lives? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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