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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old was Connie when the man finally came to her?

2. What did the nuns operate at the convent before loosing funding?

3. Who is the man who has secret meetings with Connie?

4. What does Deek do immediately upon arriving at the Convent?

5. What are K.D. and Arnette expecting?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were the circumstances surrounding Ruby Best's death?

2. What are some possible reasons for Connie spending so much time in the basement?

3. Why does Mavis buy toys every Christmas?

4. What reasons does Patricia give for not approving of Richard's talks with the young people of the town?

5. How has Patricia's genealogy project turned into a way for her to express her negative view of the people of Ruby?

6. Why does Gigi receive fifty dollars for the box she finds under the bathtub?

7. What do Arnette and Soane have in common in terms of being parents?

8. What do some of the people that try to stop the massacre seem more concerned about than the welfare of the women of the Convent?

9. What do the women of the Convent do after Connie draws their outlines on the basement floor?

10. Why do many parents of the town instruct their children to stay away from Billie Delia, and is this reputation deserved?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do the people of Ruby recreate the same prejudices and forms of discrimination that the founders were trying to escape?

Essay Topic 2

Though the Morgan's are the wealthiest and most powerful people in Ruby, that is not to say that they have not faced their own hardships. Indeed, the Morgans have endured heartbreaking loses. Outline some of these loses and offer theories on why the loses did or did not affect the Morgan's views on race relations.

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing is an important literary tool. Examine the text for instances of foreshadowing. If instances are present, how do they impact the plot? If there are no instances of foreshadowing, a rare occurrence in a novel, how does the absence of foreshadowing affect the reader's reception of the story?

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This section contains 727 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample