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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. Who confesses to the trip to the beach?

2. What is the one thing that comes easily to Finny?

3. Who says, "You never waste your time"?

4. When does Gene travel to return to Devon?

5. Where does Finny land during the jump?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What happens when Gene and Finny decide to try another double jump from the branch?

4. What sport does Finny create in order to make up for the appalling sport in #14?

5. What is Finny's mistake that he makes when having tea with the substitute headmaster Mr. Patch-Wilders?

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

7. What is Gene the only witness to?

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

9. Why does Mr. Prud'homme come into Gene and Finny's room the next morning?

10. What happened to Finny as a result of the fall from the branch?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The theme of jealousy is one that comes up often in the story itself. Longing for something that someone else has is natural, but it can have tragic consequences.

Part 1: Describe the jealousy that Gene and Finny feel.

Part 2: What does the jealousy of these two characters seem to cause for them and for their lives?

Part 3: What other ways is jealousy shown to affect the other characters in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

The death of Finny is a scene that shocks the reader, and yet at the same time, it almost seems a blessing for this character.

Part 1: Why was Finny's original accident the worst thing that could have happened to him?

Part 2: How does Finny handle his initial accident as compared to his second accident?

Part 3: Do you think the death of Finny was necessary to tell this story? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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