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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. Which two characters are introduced first at the beginning of the novel?

2. Who is Meave?

3. Who is Katie?

4. What does the boy try to do after his talk with Sergeant Burke in Chapter 3?

5. What causes the priest to call off Larry McLaughlin's wedding?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Crazy Joe.

2. When the boy's father takes him and his brother Liam out on the boat, what does his father reveal to them and why does it make the boy feel uncomfortable?

3. Why is the boy narrator fond of Aunt Katie?

4. What memory does the boy have of an interaction between him and Crazy Joe?

5. What does the boy's grandfather tell him right before he dies?

6. Describe Grianan.

7. How is the motif of fire used in Chapter 3?

8. The theme of disappearance is further discussed in Chapter 2. Explain.

9. How is the boy's father's life seen as very difficult and sad?

10. How is the novel The Shan Van Vocht an example of female symbolism?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Good vs. evil is an important theme in the novel. Show how three characters made the wrong decision in regards to Eddie's death and explain what they should have done differently.

Essay Topic 2

Would it have been better if the mystery of Eddie's death was revealed earlier in the novel? How does the slowly unfolding mystery add to the boy narrator's character development? How does it shape him to become the man he grows up to be?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of secrets within the text. What kind of impact does secret-keeping have on the characters of the novel? How does it affect the plot as it progresses? Explain.

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