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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 surprises Laurel when she sees the coffin?

2. What does the nurse tell Laurel about Fay when she arrives?

3. What is Fay's mood as they wait for Judge to return from surgery?

4. What does Laurel remember about sleeping in her room?

5. How long after Judge met Fay did they get married?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Laurel believe her father married Fay?

2. Describe Judge and Fay's relationship as shown in Chapter 2.

3. Why does Laurel want to find her mother's letters?

4. Why does Laurel refuse to gossip about Fay?

5. Why does Laurel fly to New Orleans?

6. How does Fay react when she returns home from the funeral home and finds people sitting with Laurel?

7. Why does Laurel return to the hospital?

8. How does gossip affect the plot in Part 3, Chapter 1?

9. What other decision has Fay made about the wake that Laurel dislikes?

10. What makes Laurel unhappy about her father's coffin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Laurel fly to New Orleans when her father tells her he has made a doctor's appointment? What is unusual about Judge's decision to see a doctor? What does this say about Judge's personality?

Essay Topic 2

Eudora Welty uses several examples of symbolism throughout the novel. Name two. What do these objects symbolize? Why did Welty chose these items? How are these items similar to the things they symbolize? How are they different?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Fay insist on making the funeral arrangements? Why does Laurel allow her to do this? Should Laurel have had a right to make some of the decisions? Why or why not? Does Laurel agree with Fay's choices? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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