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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. For how long had Einar trained his body before his climb out of the village?

2. How many sit-ups does Einar tell Claire to do every day?

3. What item does Alys remove from the bottom of her trunk so that Claire may smell its scent?

4. What does Claire do in order to repel another bird attack?

5. When Claire feels she has mastered the running of the hillside path, what does Einar do to make the task more difficult?

Short Essay Questions

1. Though Alys is childless herself, what experience does she have that qualifies her for the care of Claire upon Claire's arrival in the village?

2. What is the only thing Claire remembers from her past once she arrives in the village after fleeing the community by boat?

3. What exercises does Einar give Claire to do until the winter is over?

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

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

6. What is the relationship between Alys and Old Benedikt?

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

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

9. For what element does Trademaster agree to trade Claire's son and what is the immediate result of the trade?

10. What is revealed about the relationship of Old Benedikt and Alys?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Narrative events within Lois Lowry's novel Son refer to the subject of trust at many different points. Trace these mentions, explain each instance's circumstances, and discuss the overall message the author sends about the subject of trust.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the significance of the novel's title and of the repeated references to sons throughout the narrative. What is the author's purpose in including the motif of male children, both in the title and throughout the narrative of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how the choice of an omniscient narrator to tell the story of Claire's life enabled the author to bridge the gap between Claire's life within the dystopian community and the world in which the reader lives and works.

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