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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In this section, Janice decides she will do what if Harry comes back?

2. Which of the following outrages is not one that Rabbit lists as his conglomeration of sin?

3. How does Janice repeatedly describe the look her newborn gave her?

4. Who made Janice switch obstetricians when she became pregnant a second time?

5. Which of the following is not a profession that Kruppenbach accuses Eccles of attempting in arbitrating the Angstrom affair?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Updike spends much time creating the world of the novel with evocative descriptions of Mt. Judge and Brewer. This area of Pennsylvania is as much a character of the novel as any person. Write an essay about the setting of the novel. How does Harry Angstrom react to it? What does he feel about it? Does anyone in the novel every leave the area? How many people express any desire to do so?

Essay Topic 2

Midway through the novel, Harry Angstrom is completely at ease with his abandonment of his family. He believes that the universe wants him to seek out his own way, and to hell with the rest. Write an essay charting Harry's attitude toward personal responsibility, Who does he think pays the price for his decisions? What occurs that makes him change his mind? What is his attitude at the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Jack Eccles is one of the more dynamic figures in the novel. He represents a new attitude toward religion and its place in a modern world. Write an essay about Jack Eccles and his struggle with both the extremely traditional view of his vocation (as represented by Reverend Kruppenbach) and the secular modernist view (as represented by his wife). How does Eccles' relationship with Harry make manifest this inner struggle to understand his own faith?

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This section contains 335 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample