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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 in the house does Thurber hear someone walking around?

2. Who does Thurber wake up to tell about the burglar?

3. What is the name of the town Thurber struggles to recall?

4. What part of Columbus is beyond danger?

5. Where does Thurber say he grew up as a boy?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Aunt Grace try to get rid of burglars every evening?

2. Summarize chapter four.

3. Why does Mother oppose Father sleeping in the attic?

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

5. What is Father's relationship with his sons?

6. How did people react to the claim the dam had burst?

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

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

9. Summarize chapter five.

10. How does Father react to Thurber coming into his room at 3 am?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the main themes of the story. In what way are these themes relevant to the period? How does the author use character and setting to express these themes?

Essay Topic 2

What does Grandfather's reaction to the First World War say about the older generation's attitude to war? What is Thurber's opinion on war and how does he express it? How would Thurber have coped if he was drafted?

Essay Topic 3

How accurate do the students think Thurber's representation of World War drafting is? How does he change his representation so it fits in with the story's themes?

(see the answer keys)

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