View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of O'Connor's relatives did a man ask to relay a message to her about her type of characters?

2. What John Hersey novel in O'Connor's examples did parents seem to object to?

3. Who was Baron von Hugel?

4. What does O'Connor think English teachers can help change?

5. What will always be a Catholic novel's center of destruction?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why might a Catholic writer have to include more violence in his work than he is comfortable with?

2. When does O'Connor say the greatest dramas occur?

3. How does O'Connor say she believes fiction should be taught?

4. How does O'Connor respond to those who say that Catholics cannot be artists?

5. Why might a Catholic novelist feel angst about being both a Catholic and a fiction writer?

6. What problem does O'Connor say Catholic writers face?

7. Why does O'Connor write powerfully, especially about God?

8. What does O'Connor say should be the result of the proper study of literature?

9. How does O'Connor feel about literature being taught by way of psychology?

10. What story does O'Connor tell at the beginning of "Catholic Novelists and Their Readers"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore O'Connor's feelings about the peahen. What does she seem to admire about the female birds? Why do you think her admiration of them is so brief? What does her admiration of the female birds seem to represent?

Essay Topic 2

What does O'Connor say about being labeled a Southern writer? Does she feel that it is beneficial to wear this label? What problems does she run into because she is labeled a Southern writer? Based on her tone, how does she seem to feel about how those writing in the South are perceived to always be writing about the South?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the idea that Catholic writers use violence as a way to get their point across. What does O'Connor feel might happen if a Catholic writer goes too far in using shocking techniques to make the secular reader understand? What is her advice to the Catholic writer who considers indulging in pornography or sentimentality in their writing?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 835 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample