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

Short Answer Questions

1. How many days do Randolph and Amy wait to have Jesus Fever's funeral?

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

3. Where does Randolph meet his girlfriend he tells Joel about?

4. Who is Pepe Alvarez's manager?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

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?

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