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

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did Idabel get the item she offers to let Joel wear?

2. What does Joel ride with the midget at the traveling carnival?

3. What does Joel see on his father's hand in Chapter 6?

4. What does Randolph ask Joel to bring to him in Chapter 6?

5. How is Joel's father described in the photo he finds of him in his prime?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A common theme represented in many of the characters in the book is a sense of isolation.

Part 1.) How have the residents of Skully's Landing purposefully isolated themselves from outsiders, and what motivations do they have for doing this? Part 2.) How has Joel created a sense of comfort within his isolation, and what is telling of his character based on this action?

Part 3.) What might the author be saying about the nature of the book's main characters based on their willing participation in their own isolation?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the author's portrayal of the theme of coming of age through Joel's character. What might the author be saying about the unpredictability of coming of age based on Joel's journey from boy to man in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Much of the dialogue used by the author provokes a distinct southern dialect that immerses the reader into the characters' surroundings.

Part 1.) How does the author's use of the Southern dialect in characters like Idabel help inform the readers about the nature of the book's setting?

Part 2.) In what way might the author's use of dialect be geared towards entertaining the reader?

Part 3.) What can the reader learn about the author's writing technique based on his masterly use of dialect in the book?

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