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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 does Johnny not know how to do that most boys his age can?

2. Where is Owen transferred upon graduation?

3. How does Johnny react to Owen's date for the dance?

4. Whose name does Owen think that he has seen on the gravestone?

5. What happens when Owen takes Scrooge to his grave in "The Christmas Carol"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Tabitha tell the boys about her red dress?

2. What does Owen look like when he is 16?

3. What happens to the boys' grades once they get to the University?

4. What does Owen hope to do upon graduation from the University, and why?

5. How do the boys start their trip to Boston?

6. What happens with Owen's collegiate schooling after he is kicked out of Gravesend Academy?

7. What has Owen done to prepare the amputation blade?

8. What is Owen's favorite skill in basketball, and how does he accomplish it?

9. What chilling event happens after Owen believes he has seen his own death?

10. What is the reaction to Mrs. Wheelwright's new television?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, both Owen and Johnny battle with the ideas of personal histories and family histories defining them. Compare/contrast the family histories that both boys know of themselves when they are 11. Explain the ways that both boys knowledge of themselves has changed by the end of the novel. Which boy was most affected by the knowledge - or lack thereof - of both his personal and family history? What evidence from the text supports this claim?

Essay Topic 2

There are many characters who feel somehow responsible for the death of Tabitha Wheelwright. In an essay, briefly explain the reasons behind both Owen and Reverend Merrill's belief of their responsibility. What prompted each of them to believe in his responsibility? How has this affected his life?

Next, argue why the responsibility for her death should lie somewhere else. This argument should clearly and succinctly prove why neither Reverend Merrill or Owen is responsible. Use support from the text to prove your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Both Owen and Reverend Merrill played a large part in cementing the religious faith of Johnny who vacillated on religion through most of the novel. In an essay, compare/contrast the religious faiths of Owen and Reverend Merrill. Consider how much trickery comes into play in regards to the faith of characters in the novel. What message do you think John Irving was attempting to state in the novel? How do both Owen and Reverend Merrill's views on faith affected Johnny's views? Which had a larger impact on his faith? What changes did each character prompt in his beliefs?

(see the answer keys)

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