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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 Conrad's dream, what is he trapped in?

2. What word best describes the meeting between Conrad and Karen?

3. When did Cal and Beth get married?

4. In chapter 14, how does Conrad feel about what he said to Beth?

5. What birthday does Conrad celebrate in chapter 17?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. Describe Cal's first appointment with Dr. Berger.

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

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

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

8. What causes Conrad to have his first pleasant memory about Jordan?

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

10. How does Conrad feel he has let Beth down?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role does Karen's death play in Conrad's life? How is Karen's death significant to the progression of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Conrad is obsessed with not failing. The other characters also have fears. Analyze the fears of three different characters. Why are these fears significant to the progression of the novel? Do their fears become obsessions? Why or why not?

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