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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. What/who does Owen say is in Tabitha's room with her?

2. How does Owen respond to the news that his parents are aware of his Christmas responsibilities?

3. What do the boys witness the Brinker-Smith's doing while they are hiding?

4. In which city did Johnny's mother meet his father?

5. In which country does Johnny live as an adult?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Johnny and Owen are investigating empty dorm rooms at Gravesend over the Christmas holiday?

2. What is the response from Johnny's family after Tabitha's funeral?

3. What happens when Owen meets Johnny's cousins?

4. How is Owen described physically?

5. How does Owen apologize to Johnny?

6. Who are the Brinker-Smiths?

7. How do the other Sunday school students treat Owen?

8. Briefly explain this quote: "God has taken your mother. My hands were the instrument. God has taken my hands. I am God's instrument."

9. How does Johnny react to Owen's baseball card apology?

10. Why do Owen and Mr. Morrison have a conversation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While exploring the dorm rooms at Gravesend, the boys are initiated into the worlds of puberty and sexuality. Compare and contrast the boys' expectations of puberty with what they actually experience. Why might John Irving have included sexuality as a major theme within his novel?

Essay Topic 2

Johnny's stuffed armadillo becomes a symbol for the relationship that Owen and Johnny have with each other. In an essay, compare/contrast what the armadillo means to both Johnny and Owen as individuals. What do they use it for? How the physical changes in the armadillo represent the changes that happen in the boys' relationship. How the armadillo comes into play with the fruition of Owen's destiny? How does the symbol of the armadillo return?

Essay Topic 3

The novel takes places in a very important moment of American history. The Vietnam War becomes both a machine to progress the story as well as a catalyst for the behaviors of many characters. Why might John Irving have decided to set the novel in this time period? Was the war used as a machine to progress the story, or was there a deeper symbolic meaning to the time setting? Support your theory with examples from the text.

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This section contains 748 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample