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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who tells Joel that Zoo will never return after she leaves the Landing?

2. What does Joel go with Idabel to do in Chapter 7?

3. What did Randolph's girlfriend tell him she has been aware of since the beginning of their relationship?

4. Who does the person who gave Joel a haircut leave to tend to?

5. How does Randolph describe the dreams his girlfriend had that he saw in a dream book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's portrayal of love through the book's characters. What means does Joel resort to when seeking love in the book, and what role might this have on his strange bond developed with Randolph?

Essay Topic 2

The subject of homosexuality is present throughout much of the book and offers an important insight into the nature of the book's characters.

Part 1.) What can the reader learn about the nature of the local's acceptance of homosexuality based on Idabel's need to escape the town and be her true self?

Part 2.) In what way might the author's portrayal of Joel represent the journey of first discovering homosexuality?

Part 3.) How might Randolph be seen as the most open and understanding of homosexuality in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the author's portrayal of the father figure in the book. What impact might Ed Samson's being an invalid have on Joel's desperate search for a male figure in his life?

(see the answer keys)

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