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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. Lucy says that there aren't many _____________ at the nursing home.

2. What have some of the people at the nursing home gotten Lucy interested in?

3. Who is Castalia?

4. What nickname does Lucy's father give her?

5. How old is Lucy at the beginning of the novel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the only man that Lucy likes in the nursing home?

2. What is the initial relationship between Lucy and Castalia (Cassie)?

3. Who is Sal Smith and what role did he play in Will's life during the war?

4. Why does Lucy allow Will to tell his war stories to the children in spite of her objection to them?

5. What is Will's behavior at the site where Ned was killed?

6. What is the premise of OLDEST LIVING CONFEDERATE WIDOW TELLS ALL?

7. How old was Willie when he became a soldier and how did the war affect him?

8. Why does Will terminate Cassie?

9. Which person does Lucy select as the topic of her paper on the Civil War, and how does she glean her information?

10. Even though Lucy is younger than Will, how does she view him regarding his emotional war wounds?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author begins the story in the present day and tells the story through a series of flashbacks. Why did he choose to tell his story this way? In what way is a flashback technique more interesting for a reader? In what ways is it more complicated?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Gurganus' writing style. How is he different from other writers of his time? What are some of his characteristic writing techniques? Identify some examples of his classic style in OLDEST LIVING CONFEDERATE WIDOW TELLS ALL.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of women in the early to mid 20th century when Lucy is living her life. How did women's roles evolve? What precedents did they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions did they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not?

(see the answer keys)

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