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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 does Mother want to call when she hears the noise?

2. What do the family use to knock the grandfather unconscious?

3. What is the name of Thurber's younger brother?

4. Which member of the Thurber family usually sleeps in the attic?

5. Where in the house does Thurber hear someone walking around?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Thurber's mother get overexcited in this chapter?

2. How does Thurber reassure Briggs?

3. Why does Father dislike pushing the car?

4. Summarize chapter four.

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

6. Summarize chapter five.

7. How does Aunt Sarah Shoaf counter her fear of burglars?

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

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

10. How does Thurber react when he hears the ghost?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

How does Thurber represent his family in the book? Does Thurber have any conflicts with his family and if so, how does he express these problems? How does Thurber's family shaped him as a person?

Essay Topic 3

Away from the main character, examine the way the author uses the other characters in the book. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

(see the answer keys)

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