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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. Tom is determined to discover ____________.

2. Which of the following characters dies during the storm?

3. Why does Tom begin writing letters to South Carolina?

4. Why is the old German priest guilt-ridden?

5. Bernard finally takes to calling Tom ______________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of family does the Prologue portray?

2. What is one of the benefits of Tom's extraordinary childhood?

3. How does Lila react to Henry's buying a tiger?

4. Why does Tom suggest that football is a good thing for the unhappy Bernard?

5. How has coaching Bernard helped Tom?

6. Why doesn't Lila want the children to tell their father about the man called "Callanwolde"?

7. Why does Tom feel the fallow deer are out of place in the Central Park Zoo?

8. How does Lila feel about Henry's profession as a shrimper?

9. What does the story of Lila's quest to win the Colleton League cookbook contest reveal about her character?

10. Why does Henry covert to Catholicism?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The essence of any drama, especially the Wingo family drama, is conflict. Choose ONE of the following characters and discuss the major conflicts and obstacles he or she seeks to overcome throughout the novel. Does he or she succeed? What is the prevailing conflict in his or her path to healing? How does the struggle and tension produced by this conflict change this character?

A.) Tom.

B.) Luke.

C.) Savannah.

D.) Lila.

E.) Susan.

F.) Henry.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the dramatic irony of Dr. Lowenstein's personal circumstances while treating Savannah. How is her own marriage and family an ironic counterpoint to the narrative Tom is sharing with her about his family?

Essay Topic 3

There is one character in the novel who plays a very small but powerful role in the lives of the Wingos: the name known by the children as "Callanwolde." What do we know about this persona? What might he represent? What role does his presence play in the larger narrative?

Write an essay that explores this character and analyzes how he exemplifies the pain and trauma in the lives of the Wingo family. Be sure to make clear and specific references to the text as well as literary techniques (symbolism, imagery, figurative language, etc.) as you develop your response.

(see the answer keys)

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