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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. Where do Ike and Bobby go to help herd?

2. For what do they check the cattle?

3. What does Crowder tell Guthrie to do after the Beckmans leave?

4. What does Victoria's mother tell Victoria?

5. Why does Tom Guthrie have to see Lloyd Crowder?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Bobby and Ike sneak out of the house one night?

2. What call does Dr. Martin have that has to do with the McPherons and Victoria?

3. What does Crowder tell Russell Beckman's parents as to the reason they have been called to the office and what does Mrs. Beckman say? What does Russell say?

4. What does Dr. Martin do after he examines Victoria and what does she ask him?

5. What happens at the barbershop when Ike and Bobby go there to collect their newspaper money?

6. What does Mrs. Stearns do with Ike and Bobby while the cookies are baking? What does she tell them?

7. What does Russell and a friend do to Ike and Bobby?

8. What happens when Victoria returns to the McPherons' house?

9. Where do the McPheron brothers take Victoria, what do they do, and what is her response to it?

10. What does Victoria tell the McPheron brothers about where she was and where do they take her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

We can infer that Victoria is accustomed to verbal abuse from her mother because she does not seem alarmed until her mother says she will kick Victoria out of the house. Prior to that, Victoria listened to her mother's abusive name calling as if it were a normal occurrence.

1. Do you think verbal fighting and name calling is abuse? Do you think it should be illegal for a parent to do that? Why or why not?

2. How do you think Victoria's mother's verbal abuse of her daughter affects her daughter? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. Why do you think a parent would kick a daughter out of the house is she became pregnant? Discuss what you would do if Victoria was your daughter.

Essay Topic 2

Oftentimes, a book is more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think Plainsong is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 3

Many readers of fiction place themselves in the position of one character, wondering if they would do the same thing as that character. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think one of the values of literature is to serve as a reflection of oneself? Why or why not?

2. Socrates said "Know thyself." How can reading a book such as Regeneration help a reader to know him/herself? Do you find yourself reflecting on your own character and abilities when reading Plainsong? Why or why not.

3. Choose one specific incident in Plainsongto discuss and compare one of the characters' response to how you think you would respond.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,373 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample