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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 does Father think will one day happen to the REO?

2. What does Thurber say it is almost necessary to throw around?

3. What word causes panic among the 2,000 people?

4. What does the grandfather say is run by a passel of blockheads?

5. What do the Columbus believe has broken?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe how the family erupts into chaos in the first chapter.

2. What does Thurber say about earthquakes in this chapter?

3. Why does the record player wake up Father?

4. How do the family have to start the old REO?

5. How does Grandfather react when the police break into his room?

6. How does Mother get the neighbor's attention?

7. What does Aunt write that she observed from the flood?

8. How does Buck deal with his father's accusation that he is suffering from delirium?

9. What is Briggs's nervous condition?

10. What do Grandmother and Mother fear about electricity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How did the Civil War change American society? How does Thurber express these changes?

Essay Topic 2

Look at the generation gap between younger and the older characters. What different experiences did both generations go through? What problems is the generation gap causing the characters?

Essay Topic 3

How did Thuber's time at Ohio State influence his later life? What indications are there that Thurber did not enjoy university?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 649 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample