View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Chase Henry denied burial on holy ground?

2. What was Searcy Foote's murder weapon?

3. Whose children did Constance Hately raise?

4. What did Franklin Jones need one more year to finish?

5. Whose name was daily in the papers?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is common about the residents in the first section?

2. How is the Circuit Judge's sense of justice skewed?

3. Did Searcy Foote feel justified in killing his aunt with chloroform? Why?

4. Explain the relationship between Hamilton Greene and Elsa Wertman.

5. Explain how Fiddler Jones was able to die without a single regret.

6. Several residents in the section beginning with Fiddler Jones and ending with Mrs. George Reece are one-life minded souls. What does this mean and who are they?

7. How is Emily Sparks different from the other residents at the beginning of the "Spoon River Anthology"? How does she fit in with the other residents?

8. Some of the stories of the residents relate to each other, such as the stories of Hamilton Greene and Elsa Wertman. Why does Masters do this?

9. What is inspiring about Lois Spears?

10. Explain why Hod Put could not achieve success in life. What did he choose instead?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role does faith play in the lives of Spoon River's residents?

Essay Topic 2

What is the tone of "Spoon River Anthology"? How do you know?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the importance for Masters to include fools and failures as well as heroes and enlightened souls in "Spoon River Anthology".

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 727 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample