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. Who do we learn in Chapter Two taught Shawn The Rules?

2. What does Will pretend to himself that he dreams about about in Chapter One, the day after Shawn’s death?

3. What does Will say in Chapter One about how you, the reader, will be after they hear his story?

4. What does the gun in the back of his waistband feel like to Will in Chapter One?

5. How does Buck laughing at Will feel to Will in Chapter Two?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Will think of when the girl in the elevator shows him the picture from her wallet in Chapter Three? Who is in the photo?

2. What happens on the day of the picture that Dani shows to Will in Chapter Three?

3. What is the metaphor Will describes in Chapter Three about God displaying his children?

4. What is a Penny Drop? What does Will tell the reader about a Penny Drop in Chapter One?

5. What is the picture of at the beginning of Chapter One? What does this image illustrate for the reader?

6. As told in Chapter Two, what does “L” mean to Shawn and Will? What is the game they used to play on the elevator?

7. What does Will say he usually does when bad things happen? Why can he not do this on the day that Shawn dies? Why does he think the moon is “lucky”?

8. What is Will’s plan with Shawn’s gun in Chapter One?

9. What does Will describe as a “strange thing” in the beginning of Chapter Two? What does he call this?

10. Who does Will think has killed Shawn in Chapter One? Why does Will think this?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Think about the ending of the “The Scene” in Chapter Four where Will says he shoots after some reluctance. Consider how many generations are represented repeating a similar pattern of revenge. Why does Will not want to shoot? Does Will have free will to choose to shoot or not shoot? Why or why not? Argue why or why he does not have free will and connect this to the ending of the novel. What does the ending suggest about free will?

Essay Topic 2

The third of The Rules is to enact revenge on the person who kills someone close to you. Does the novel support the idea of revenge? What does it show revenge does? Does it support the actions of Rule Number Three? What does the novel actually show about the theme of revenge? Write a response with at least three textual examples supporting your main claim.

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter Four of the novel, film techniques are used to illustrate the center of the story. In early lessons, the novel’s connection to rap music was discussed. What is the effect of having the novel contain so many genre forms? Why are so many different kinds of media referenced and contained in the novel? How does this enhance the story of the novel? Pull from at least four textual examples to support your exploratory claim.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,148 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample