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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Joel strap on before joining his friend outside in Chapter 10?

2. What is Joel hit with after having his hair cut?

3. What does Idabel offer to let Joel wear in Chapter 7?

4. Joel concludes that his father is nothing but ______________ when he tries to envision him as a vital man.

5. Where did Randolph and his girlfriend move to when they come to the United States?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

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 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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