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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 happens to the boy's father right before he retires?

2. What does Katie's sister tell her that upsets her?

3. Who was McIlhenny involved with before he marries Katie?

4. Why doesn't the girl return Jimmy's affection?

5. When do the boy's parents marry?

Short Essay Questions

1. What information does the boy's mother find out after Sergeant Burke dies that makes her angry?

2. Describe the relationship between Tony, Katie, and the boy's mother.

3. What is important about the boy's reading of the story of Eddie's death in Irish?

4. What does the boy recall about "unconditional love"?

5. What causes the boy to realize his mother doesn't care what he reveals to anyone?

6. Why is the boy again upset with his mother at the end of Chapter 5?

7. In what ways are the problems of Northern Ireland just beginning as the problems the boy faces are now ending?

8. Why does the boy's evening with Irene prove to be a disappointment?

9. What does Sergeant Burke reveal about Eddie's death and Tony's involvement?

10. Why does Katie's family refuse to attend Meave's wedding?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Foreshadowing is used multiple times in the novel. Cite three examples and show how they are used to indicate events that will happen later in the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the boy's mother and father.

1.) How are they different in their treatments of the boy? How are they same?

2.) What parts of the family secret does each of them know?

3.) How do their behaviors change over the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

How does the historical context of Northern Ireland affect the story itself? How does it affect the characters and the mystery of Eddie's death? Why is it important to know the historical context to fully understand the novel?

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This section contains 681 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample