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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 do the boys throw at the statue of Mary Magdalene?

2. What does Owen call the column that he writes for the Gravesend newspaper?

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

4. How does Owen respond to Barb Wiggins' teasing?

5. As an adult, who is Johnny's best friend?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Who is Katherine Keeling?

4. What goes wrong during the Christmas pageant?

5. How does Owen react to the nuns at the academy?

6. What does the letter that Johnny receives from the draft board say?

7. As an adult, what is Johnny discussing with Canon Mackie?

8. What habit has Hester taken up, and how does it affect her life?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jealousy is another theme that becomes introduced into Johnny and Owen's relationship as they progress into adolescence. In an essay, explain two of the major events that prompt jealousy between the two boys and the ways that the jealously is overcome. What was it that the boys discussed/decided, if anything, to smooth out their relationship? Had Owen lived into adulthood, do you imagine that jealously would have continued to live in their relationship? What adult events might have transpired that one boy, or the other, could have been jealous of?

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

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?

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