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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. Which two members of the Drum family refuse to attend church on the Sunday following Ariel's death?

2. What does Ruth's father call Nathan after Nathan leaves to apologize to the O'Keefe family for the racist treatment they are receiving?

3. What gossip do Frank and Jake hear that causes them to run and seek Gus' advice for what they should do about it?

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

5. Who is the only family member present when the sheriff and his people pull Ariel's dead body from the river?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes Ruth to get less and less hopeful about Ariel's safe return as phone calls continue to stream into their home?

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

3. How does Nathan's sermon affect Frank?

4. What timeline does Karl present when he is questioned by the police?

5. 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?

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

7. When Frank and Jake try to overhear yet another conversation at Emil's and Lise's house, their plan is thwarted. What is the cause of their plan failing?

8. What, if any, clues do Karl, Frank, Jake, the sheriff, and Officer Doyle find when they get to Sibley Park, the site of the bonfire party?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Eavesdropping is a motif used throughout the novel. Examine at least three instances of eavesdropping within the narrative. Analyze each instance and provide a specific claim about the ways in which the author uses eavesdropping in order to affect the novel's message.

Essay Topic 2

Vices often play a role in the narrative, with some characters engaging in drinking, smoking, and gambling, among other activities often considered immoral, or at least troublesome. How does the author use characters' vices in contrast with the themes of faith and innocence within the novel?

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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