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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the person who admits to shooting the gun trying to scare away?

2. What does Joel do to the person who gave him his haircut after?

3. Where did Randolph spend more of his time while living in Europe?

4. Who became Pepe Alvarez's lover?

5. Who does Randolph tell Joel he found himself attracted to other than his girlfriend?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the symbolism of birds in the book. In what way might the bird trapped in Joel's room represent his own plight at the Landing and his inability to find love and comfort?

Essay Topic 2

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 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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 246 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample