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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. In addition to the revelation about Ariel's pregnant state at the time of her death, what is the other reason the sheriff cites for Karl moving to the top of the murder suspect list?

2. Why does Frank find it odd that upon his return to the house from Sibley Park, Ruth and Gus are sitting at the kitchen table together?

3. Where does Frank first spot Morris Engdahl on the grounds of the celebration?

4. What happens just before Ruth stands up from the kitchen table and announces she is leaving the family to go to her father's house to stay for a while?

5. What is Nathan reading that angers Ruth so much she storms off from the living room?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who acts as the go-between, bringing news back and forth between the police station and the Drum family and how does this role fit the character's relationship to the family?

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

3. How does Warren Redstone play a role in the altercation between Frank and Morris Engdahl?

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

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

6. Why and how does Ruth lose the one person who has served as her comfort throughout the tragedy surrounding Ariel?

7. Why is Frank so surprised to see Ruth and Gus sitting together at the kitchen table when he and the rest of the family return from Sibley Park?

8. What is the significance of how Frank spends the money he has been saving up from the yard work he does for his grandfather?

9. Besides the sheriff's mention of Morris Engdahl, what happens to prompt Frank to tell the sheriff about Morris Engdahl's dislike of Ariel?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many of the novel's characters undergo experiences that radically transform their lives, taking them far away from the expectations they have previously held. Analyze at least three characters' transformative experiences, the effects these events have on their lives, their methods for dealing with these changes, and ultimately, the author's purpose for including these types of disparities between expectation and reality.

Essay Topic 2

How does the novel's title express its themes? Use three different scenes and related concrete details to prove your claim.

Essay Topic 3

Many of the characters within the novel carry around various secrets, unduly burdening them and thus, the people who love them. What is the author's message regarding secrecy, deception, and catharsis?

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