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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 are the boys covered in after doing work by the tracks?

2. Where does Finny want Gene to go with him?

3. Who announces he is going to enlist 'tomorrow'?

4. Where does Brinker take Gene and Finny?

5. Who is waiting for Gene when he returns to his dorm room?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gene realize about Finny as he is being carried away by the others?

2. Why do the boys ridicule Quackenbush?

3. Why does Leper decide to enlist in the war?

4. What does Gene offer as an explanation for his disheveled appearance when Finny returns?

5. What does Gene conclude about Leper's admittance that he escaped?

6. What does Gene note when he is making up Finny's bed for him?

7. What do the students do when Finny falls down the stairs?

8. What does Gene do when Finny expresses his shock and disappointment in the idea of Finny enlisting?

9. What does the cryptic telegram reveal?

10. Why does Finny suddenly begin to believe that the war is real?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

It is Gene who feels responsible for Finny's fall, and the guilt follows him throughout the book.

Part 1: What happened to case Gene's guilt about Finny's fall?

Part 2: Do you think Gene caused Finny to fall? Why or why not?

Part 3: Even though Finny tells Gene that it wasn't his fault, why can't Gene let go of his guilt?

Essay Topic 2

While Gene continues to feel upset about Finny's accident, it seems that even though he is 'cleared' of his charges and Finny never seems to blame him, the 'sin' follows him.

Part 1: Do you feel that Gene sinned? Was his bouncing of the branch done out of hatred? Support your answer.

Part 2: Does Gene ever find a sense of redemption? Why or why not?

Part 3: What does Finny's fall represent in this novel? What does it have to say about growing up?

Essay Topic 3

The idea of the war and enlisting seems to be on every boy's mind as they progress through the novel.

Part 1: List the characters who state they want to enlist in the war effort.

Part 2: Which of these characters actually do enlist in the war effort?

Part 3: What does the act of enlisting seem to symbolize for the boys in this story?

(see the answer keys)

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