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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 became targeted after the election and the "deluge of pardons" (4)?

2. What does Robbie's grandfather admit to having in response to the last part of Robbie's email?

3. Robbie's grandfather says people focus too much on courage and not enough on what?

4. What does Robbie's grandfather say he and his wife would have had to have been in order to make any change pre-election?

5. Whose "situation [may] be made worse" (5) according to Robbie's grandfather at the end of his letter?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the end, what does Robbie's grandfather "advise" and "implore" (5) Robbie to do regarding J.? Why?

2. What does Robbie's grandfather say is easier to do when reading history books?

3. What are some of the things Robbie's grandparents tried to do during the critical period, before essentially giving up?

4. Why would it have been fruitless for Robbie's grandfather to "harangue the officials" (5) in Waterville?

5. What does Robbie's grandfather say about organizing marches when discussing what he could have done during the critical period?

6. What language does Robbie's grandfather use to describe the president, particularly when explaining why he did not think things could go so far?

7. What sort of help does Robbie's grandfather offer to Robbie if he needs it at the end of his letter?

8. What "crude metaphor" (4) does Robbie's grandfather use to explain how he and his wife and others became inured to what was happening?

9. What household and medical bills were Robbie's grandparents incurring during what he calls the "critical period" (4)?

10. Why were "those on the other side" (5) so wiling to try to tear down the system?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Saunders’s focus on the theme of regret as presented in the story.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Saunders's decision to tell the story from Robbie's grandfather's perspective. How does this impact the reader's understanding of the story's events? Is this effective? Why or why not? How would this story be different if told from Robbie's point of view?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring Robbie's grandfather's feelings toward Robbie. What words tell the reader how he feels?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 725 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample