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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 treat does Lucy take to Ned in the hospital?

2. How old is the child when he dies?

3. How does Maimie kill herself?

4. How does Will greet Lucy when she arrives at the hospital?

5. How old is Will when the South loses the war?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Will behave when he returns home after Ned's accident?

2. How does the author show that Lucy is weary of Will's war stories?

3. Describe Lucy's success at teaching Sunday School

4. Who is Maimie L. Beech?

5. Why does Maimie decide to kill herself?

6. How do Will's financial decisions make the family vulnerable?

7. Describe Lucy and Will's separation after Ned's accident.

8. Why does Lucy decide to leave her family and what gives her validation on her decision?

9. What role does Will have in the annual parade of the Daughters of the Confederacy in Raleigh?

10. What lie does Ned tell his mother and what did he actually do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Create a brief character study of Cassie. What does she look like? What are her positive personality traits? What are some of her negative characteristics? What are her hopes and fears? What motivates her during her lifetime?

Essay Topic 3

OLDEST LIVING CONFEDERATE WIDOW TELLS ALL is a classic historical fiction story. What does that classification entail? Why does this story fit into this category?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 885 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample