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 does Conrad wait to do after the other boys are done?

2. What is the significance of chapter 7?

3. How did Conrad's brother die?

4. How does Conrad spend his birthday?

5. What instrument does Cal play?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When Beth and Cal attend a dinner party in chapter 8, what does Beth get angry about?

3. According to Conrad, how does Beth feel about him?

4. What makes Cal wonder why Conrad would ever want to kill himself?

5. What causes Conrad to worry about his ability to survive in chapter 7?

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

7. In chapter 6, what do Cal and Beth fight about?

8. Why does Cal want to see Dr. Berger in chapter 17?

9. What are Conrad's feelings about getting a car for Christmas?

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

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?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Many of the events in "Ordinary People" are realistic, such as Conrad's reaction to Karen's death. What other elements of the novel are realistic? Analyze the realism in the novel and explain whether it is effective as a literary technique.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 735 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample