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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 Grandfather say he recommended over the REO?

2. What is the name of the town's doctor?

3. What does Roy shout in his father's ear?

4. How does Aunt Grace claim she scares off burglars?

5. What does the grandfather steal from one of the policeman?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the record player wake up Father?

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

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

4. How did the rumor that the dam had broken start?

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

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

7. How could Grandfather caused the family to drown?

8. What is Briggs's nervous condition?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

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?

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This section contains 800 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample