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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 killed Yee Bow?

2. What did John Horace Burleson win?

3. What is the name of Ollie McGee's husband?

4. Why did Margaret Fuller Slack not have any time to write?

5. Why did no one in Spoon River like Dorcas Gustine?

Short Essay Questions

1. Give three examples of one-life minded souls, and explain how each is one-life minded.

2. Explain the premise of "Spoon River Anthology".

3. Why does Masters introduce some honorable characters in the section beginning with Conrad Siever and ending with Cooney Potter?

4. How are the one-life minded souls like the fools in the "Spoon River Anthology"?

5. 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?

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

7. Why is Andy the Night-Watch considered a quiet hero?

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

9. Compare and contrast Fiddler Jones and A. D. Blood.

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the theme of vengeance in "Spoon River Anthology".

Essay Topic 2

Describe the types of souls that exist in the epitaphs of the "Spoon River Anthology".

Essay Topic 3

Explain how Masters's use of poetry affects the reader's experience in reading "Spoon River Anthology". How would it be different if it were written in prose?

(see the answer keys)

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