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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 Dr. Stanpole plan to do later that day?

2. What is Finny wearing now?

3. Who is ridiculed for wanting to finish school before enlisting?

4. What does Finny say he deplores?

5. Who decides to enlist, much to the surprise of everyone?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where is the secret Christmas Location that Leper refers to?

2. Describe the scene in the Butt Room.

3. What do Gene and the other boys volunteer to do to support the war effort?

4. When the students of Devon are looking at different options for military recruitment, what is guiding their decision?

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

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

7. Why do the boys ridicule Quackenbush?

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

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

10. What eventually happens when the boys realize what Finny is doing in #49?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The trial that seeks to prove Gene's guilt in Finny's accident is a haunting scene that seems to have numerous outcomes, beyond that which occurs in the Assembly Room.

Part 1: Describe what happens during the trial scene between Finny, Gene, and the others present.

Part 2: How does the trial affect Gene?

Part 3: How does the trial affect Finny?

Essay Topic 2

Leper is certainly a compelling character in this novel, causing the reader to be diverted from the stories of Finny and Gene from time to time.

Part 1: Why do you think Leper got his nickname? What does this seem to say about his personality and reputation?

Part 2: Why do you think Leper is a significant character in this story? What is his purpose in the story?

Part 3: Is Leper a sympathetic character? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

From the very beginning, we learn that Gene will be the narrator from the story, but as with any narrator, a reader must question whether they can be trusted or not.

Part 1: Do you think Gene is a reliable narrator? Why or why not?

Part 2: In realizing that Gene might not be the most reliable narrator, how does this change your perception of the story and of Gene and Finny?

Part 3: What other character might prove to be a more reliable narrator? Support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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