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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What sins is Nathan referring to when he says that his own sins have led to Ariel's death?
(a) His war experiences.
(b) His permissive style of parenting.
(c) His trust of Karl.
(d) His affair with Edna Sweeney.

2. What does Ruth do while Nathan is at the funeral home making the arrangements for Ariel's funeral service?
(a) She sits in the basement with all of the lights off.
(b) She sits at the kitchen table, writing Ariel's eulogy.
(c) She sits in her bedroom and cries.
(d) She sits on the porch in her housecoat and slippers, smoking cigarettes.

3. What simile does Gus use to describe Nathan's reaction to Ariel's death?
(a) Like a thorn in a rose.
(b) Like a stranger in the night.
(c) Like a punch in the face.
(d) Like a knife in the back.

4. Who is the only person able to console Ruth during her wait for information about Ariel?
(a) Jake.
(b) Lise.
(c) Emil.
(d) Nathan.

5. What is Nathan reading that angers Ruth so much she storms off from the living room?
(a) The Bible.
(b) A book about fishing.
(c) Ariel's obituary.
(d) A book about the psychology of grief.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who answers the door when Frank and Jake knock on the O'Keefes' door?

2. What emotion does Gus tell Nathan that he feels toward the strength of Nathan's faith in God?

3. Who provides a ride for Ariel to get from the party to the bonfire site?

4. Why are Frank and Jake unable to play with Danny when they go to find him at the O'Keefes' house?

5. What job is Gus performing when Frank and Jake find him at the cemetery?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the themes of racism and larger injustice surface in the aftermath of Ariel's disappearance?

2. When the sheriff finally notices Frank standing in the doorway after the questioning, what idea does he provide that gives Ruth hope?

3. Why is Frank initially not very worried about Ariel when she does not return home the night of the Fourth of July?

4. What happens to cause suspicion to fall on Warren Redstone in relation to Ariel's disappearance?

5. What elements of family life at the Drums' home drive Ruth to leave the family to stay elsewhere for a while?

6. What revelations does the sheriff communicate to Nathan when they meet in Nathan's office at the church and who becomes a suspect as a result of these revelations?

7. What is the first action Frank takes when he gets home as a result of listening to Nathan's sermon?

8. What are the differences in how each member of the Drum family feels about Karl's new status as a murder suspect?

9. What secret does Karl finally reveal to Nathan that makes it fairly clear that he had no hand in Ariel's murder?

10. What news does Gus bring to Ruth while Nathan is at the funeral home making arrangements for Ariel's funeral?

(see the answer keys)

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