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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 Fay tell Judge after he wakes?

2. How did Judge meet Fay?

3. Why does Judge decide to see this particular doctor?

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

5. What city does Laurel live in?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 2, what does Fay complain about while waiting for Judge to come out of surgery?

2. What does Laurel notice about her father and Fay's bedroom when she goes to wake Fay?

3. What does Part 2, Chapter 4 say about the characters of Laurel and Fay?

4. Why does Judge become depressed?

5. What is discussed over dinner after the funeral?

6. What story of her mother's does Laurel recall in Part 3, Chapter 4?

7. Why does Laurel refuse to gossip about Fay?

8. Where does Laurel expect her father to be buried?

9. Why do the neighbors dislike Fay?

10. Who arrives the morning of the funeral?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Grief is a theme of this novel. Discuss how grief effects each of the main characters, including Laurel, Fay, and Judge. How does grief change their thinking, their behaviors? How does it affect their choices?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Judge's depression. Why did he become depressed after surgery? Who had the largest impact on Judge's emotional state? Why? How did Laurel try to relieve Judge's depression? Was she successful? Was Judge's depression a hurdle to his recovery? How?

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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