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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 do the villagers call the act of leaving the village?

2. What reason does Einar give Claire for why she must start her climb in the nighttime?

3. What reason does Claire give Alys for why her community had chosen to eradicate feelings of love in its citizens?

4. In reality, who carries Claire from the water into the village?

5. From whom had Alys inherited her carved wooden trunk?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of Claire's outburst after Bryn gives birth to a healthy baby girl?

2. Why do Bethan, Delwyth, and Eira stop playing a pretend game involving babies and instead switch to playing tea party?

3. What elements of the job of fisherman make it dangerous for villagers who undertake the position?

4. What examples of Einar's father's abuse within Einar's story involve Alys?

5. What does Einar say about Claire's stated motivation for climbing out?

6. What idea does Einar get after seeing Claire hold Bryn's baby?

7. What is Claire's solution for quelling her fear of animals?

8. What does Einar name as his primary strategy in surviving the abuse at his father's hand?

9. For what purpose does Claire venture out of her house on a winter day to seek out Einar?

10. What does Einar reveal to Claire about his father?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes in Western culture, volunteerism is looked at in terms of only helping those in need, but Lois Lowry's novel Son seems to put forth the proposition that service to others can also be a means to the provider's own personal happiness. Find examples within the novel Son that prove this conclusion regarding the author's message about service to others and discuss the message's overall effect on the reader.

Essay Topic 2

Like many other bildungsroman books and movies, Lois Lowry's novel Son presents the loss of innocence as a theme. Trace Claire's loss of innocence over the course of the novel's narrative. What is the author's purpose for depicting Claire's, as well as other characters', loss of innocence throughout the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the two maternal characters within the narrative: Alys of the village and Claire's female parental unit of the community. What is the author's message regarding motherhood?

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This section contains 998 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample