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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. How many rocks does Einar have Claire add to her sack each day before she runs the hillside path?

2. One village legend says that when Tall Andras had come upon Claire, he had uttered what one word aloud?

3. To whom does Einar's father send Einar when his arm is broken after his fall from the fishing boat's mast?

4. What object does Claire use for her stair-stepping exercises?

5. When Bryn gives birth to a healthy baby girl, what does Claire shout at Alys?

Short Essay Questions

1. What advice does Alys give to Tall Andras when he expresses a romantic interest in Claire?

2. What is Alys's reaction to the news that Claire is training to climb out?

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

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

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

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

7. What is the reason for Bryn's falling into despair and how does Alys try to help?

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

9. 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?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

The novel Son is littered with the use of sensory details, particularly after Claire's arrival in the village after fleeing from the community in which she was born. Discuss the author's purpose in including the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations associated with Claire's new life in the village.

Essay Topic 3

One of the genres the novel fits into is the coming-of-age genre. What are the author's main messages concerning adolescence and the process of growing up?

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