View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What birthday does Conrad celebrate in chapter 17?

2. What does Conrad worry about after his meeting with Karen?

3. Where does Conrad's family go for Christmas?

4. As of the beginning of the novel, how long has Conrad been out of the hospital?

5. Since Conrad had a dream about being confined, what can he no longer do peacefully?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Conrad's confidence boosted at the library?

2. The morning that the novel starts, what things does Conrad wonder?

3. Why doesn't Conrad tell anybody that he has quit the swim team?

4. How does chapter 13 represent a breakthrough for Conrad and his family?

5. What does Conrad prove by making an appointment with Dr. Berger?

6. What does Conrad use as an excuse to quit the swim team?

7. Why doesn't Conrad first reveal that he had a brother to Dr. Berger?

8. What is Cal's role in his family?

9. Describe Beth's attitude toward Cal and Conrad in chapter 6.

10. How was attention called to Conrad's issues before he went to the mental hospital?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel's resolution occurs in the epilogue. What is the purpose of the epilogue in the novel? What resolution to the conflict does it offer?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze cause and effect in the novel. For example, Karen's death causes Conrad to have an emotional breakthrough. Analyze at least three different causes and effects in the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Many of the characters in "Ordinary People" feel guilty. For example, Conrad feels guilty over the death of his brother, Jordan. How is guilt one of the major themes in the novel? What characters experience guilt and why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 731 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample