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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 is the narrator in “Detroit Skyline, 1949”?

2. Where does Mack and Mary Lou’s youngest daughter attend college in “The Rookers”?

3. Whose granddaughter in “The Rookers” is said to have an ovary infection?

4. Kent drives a truck for what company in “Drawing Names”?

5. Sandra’s mother never told Sandra’s paternal grandmother about having what surgery in “Offerings”?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What are Cleo’s thoughts on Shirley in “Old Things”?

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

4. How is the character of Peggy described in “Drawing Names”?

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

6. What memories of her grandmother’s farm does Sandra recollect in “Offerings”?

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

8. How are the central characters in “The Rookers” similar to the central characters in “Shiloh”?

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

10. What appointment is Dolores worried about in “The Climber”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the characters of Georgeann and Shelby Pickett in “The Retreat.” How do Georgeann and Shelby resemble the characters of “Shiloh” and “The Rookers”? What other characters in the collection can you see similarities to Georgeann and Shelby?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the setting of “The Ocean.” How does the narrator describe the freeway in the beginning of the story? In what ways does the changing landscape in this story differ from the previous stories in the collection? What symbolism is used in the setting?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the characters of Peggy Jo, Mama, Aunt Mozelle, and Uncle Boone in “Detroit Skyline, 1949.” What are the actions and objectives of each of these characters? How would you describe their relationships to one another?

(see the answer keys)

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