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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. As Louise progresses in her paintings of watermelons in “Still Life with Watermelon,” she begins varying the backgrounds, “and sometimes now she throws in unusual decorative objects—a few candles, a soap dish,” and what?

2. How many years does the narrator say Leroy has spent on the road prior to his accident in Shiloh?

3. Who is the narrator in “Detroit Skyline, 1949”?

4. Where did Leroy’s tractor-trailer jackknife, causing his leg injury, in “Shiloh”?

5. What word does the narrator’s play date pronounce “with two syllables” in “Detroit Skyline, 1949”?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Mabel characterized in “Shiloh”? What is Norma Jean’s relationship with Mabel like?

2. How is the journey to Detroit described in “Detroit Skyline, 1949”? How do Peggy Jo and her mother get there?

3. How are Louise’s watermelon paintings described in the beginning of “Still Life with Watermelon”?

4. What gift did Mack make for Mary Lou for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary? How is this object described?

5. How does Mary Lou Skaggs help out her husband with his job in “The Rookers”? What is Mack’s job?

6. How does Linda respond when Cleo implies she’s old by saying “I’m not sixteen anymore” in “Old Things”?

7. How is Sandra’s mother’s relationship with Grandmother Stamper described in “Offerings”?

8. What happens when Louise goes to meet with Mr. Priddle in “Still Life with Watermelon”?

9. What examples are given of Dusty’s tendencies to overreact in “The Climber”?

10. Why is the tree being removed in “The Climber”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the setting of “Detroit Skyline, 1949.” What was Detroit’s population at this time? What setting does Peggy Jo live in with her family? How is this setting described in the narrative? How did the end of World War II impact Detroit and the surrounding communities?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of communication in “The Rookers” and Mack’s phone calls to the weather service in the story. What do these calls indicate in regards to Mack’s ability to communicate with his family?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the characters of Cleo Watkins and Rita Jean Wiggins in “Old Things.” How old are these characters? How would you characterize their relationship to one another? How are the characters similar? How are they different?

(see the answer keys)

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