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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 did Bruce consider the athletes in school to be?

2. Why is Bruce disappointed in his mother?

3. How many siblings does Bruce have?

4. What does the funeral director give to Bruce before he leaves?

5. Why does Bruce cry while he works on his project?

Short Essay Questions

1. What two buildings does Bruce see that were important in his father's life?

2. What happens when the girl's boyfriend realizes that Bruce has gotten fresh with her?

3. Who are the two friends that Bruce recalls as he reminisces about his childhood?

4. How does the author show that Joe had been an important part of Bruce's life?

5. What were Bruce's school years like?

6. Why does Bruce hate his father for his mother's sake?

7. What prompts Bruce to recall a time he worked as a busboy at a restaurant on a lake.

8. What was the importance of the tennis club in Bruce's life?

9. Who is Nola and what is her role in Bruce's life?

10. Who are Holly and Nola and what prompts Bruce to think of them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Stegner use the literary technique of local color in RECAPITULATION? What elements comprise local color? Give some examples of the local color in Salt Lake City establishments, in the characters, and i the events.

Essay Topic 2

Bruce spends some alone time throughout the novel to contemplate his life. What does he think about? What conclusions does he arrive at? Explain why he is in a contemplative mood at this point in time.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall setting for the novel. Why does Stegner use the setting he does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

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This section contains 943 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample