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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's mother often made up stories about _____________.

2. How do Savannah and Tom feel about their father during their teenage years?

3. How much time has passed since Tom and Luke went to visit their sister in New York?

4. What does Lila do after finding Savannah's journal?

5. Why does Henry buy the tiger from the circus?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the game Tom plays with his daughters?

2. Why does Tom feel Grandma Tolitha returns to Grandpa Wingo?

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

4. What kind of family does the Prologue portray?

5. Who is the Prince of Tides?

6. How does Lila react to the news of Tom's actions against Todd?

7. What is the topic of Savannah's poetry?

8. Why does Tom punch Todd Newbury, and what does this reveal or suggest about Tom?

9. How does the scene in the funeral parlor contrast with the rest of the Wingo childhood?

10. Why does Tom admit to hating both men and women equally?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Animals and nature have a special significance and meaning in the novel. Choose one of the following animals and discuss its significance throughout the novel. Be sure to discuss any possible symbolism or figurative meaning this animal might hold in the text; i.e. its representation of a larger idea or its relevance to one or more of the characters.

A.) Caesar, the tiger.

B.) Papa John's Black widow spiders.

C.) Snow, the albino porpoise.

Essay Topic 2

Located off the coast of South Carolina, Melrose Island is the backdrop for much of Tom's story. Discuss the significance of this primary setting in the novel. What importance does it hold for the various characters in the novel? What larger ideas does Melrose Island represent? Be sure to develop your response with explicit and implicit evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

A major motif throughout the novel is the pattern of hiding. Many of the characters are consciously or unconsciously hiding something about themselves, about their pasts, or about their family. As the novel progresses, each of these characters is given the opportunity to reveal the truth that he or she has been hiding or to conceal it further.

Choose ONE of the following characters and discuss how he or she participates in this motif. What is the character hiding? Is the concealment intentional or accidental? Does the character ever reveal this truth? What are the ramifications of the character's decision to disclose the secret or continue hiding it?

A.) Tom.

B.) Lila.

C.) Henry.

D.) Savannah.

E.) Bernard.

F.) Susan.

G.) Luke.

(see the answer keys)

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