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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 does Finny finally conclude about the accident?

2. What does Gene think Finny may have done?

3. Who opens each meeting of their secret society with jumping from the tree?

4. What happens when Gene turns to Finny to delay the jump?

5. Does Gene tell anyone about Finny's broken record?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gene think is the true reason behind hearing that Leper might be jumping from the branch?

2. What is one of the main rules for the secret club that Finny and Gene have created?

3. What group do the two boys decide to form while they are down by the tree after tea time?

4. As Gene and Finny are getting ready to sleep on the beach, what does Finny reveal to Gene?

5. What does the doctor say about the outcome of Finny's injury?

6. What does Gene fear Finny is trying to do when Finny tries to waste Gene's time?

7. What position has Gene volunteered for?

8. Who is the narrator of "A Separate Peace"?

9. What does Gene do one night that leads him to conclude he "will never stumble through the confusions of [his] own character again?"

10. When Gene is working hard to catch up on his trigonometry, what does Finny accuse him of?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The tree by the river is the site of many victories and one foreboding accident. Juxtaposing nature with tragedy seems to cause the reader to react more strongly than they might have had the accident occurred in another setting.

Part 1: What might the symbolism of the tree mean in the story? What might the tree represent to the characters and to the plot?

Part 2: Describe the victories that occur at the place of the tree.

Part 3: How does the tree affect each of the main characters in this novel?

Essay Topic 2

With World War II looming in the background of this novel, the darker nature of the world outside of Devon is hard to escape.

Part 1: What does World War II symbolize in this novel?

Part 2: What is the significance of World War II to each of the characters in the novel?

Part 3: How does the war relate to the title of this book?

Essay Topic 3

The perception of the war is one that seems to change during the novel as well as fluctuate from the start to the finish of the novel.

Part 1: List the people in the novel who support the war. How do they show this support?

Part 2: List the people in the novel who do not support the war. How do they show their displeasure?

Part 3: What do you think the boys think of the war in general? Is this a 'good' or a 'bad' war? Support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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