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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 took Nellie Clark's innocence?

2. Who was the daughter of Lambert Hutchins?

3. Who stole blankets?

4. How did Jacob Goodpasture lose his son?

5. What celebrated public figure is buried in an unmarked grave?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why can Nicholas Bindle be considered foolish? Why can he be considered heroic?

2. Name three residents of Spoon River who are considered failures in the section from Conrad Siever to Cooney Potter. Why is each considered a failure?

3. 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?

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

5. Explain the relationship between Roscoe and Mrs. Purkapile.

6. Explain the relationship between Harmon Whitney and the other residents of Spoon River. Why did this relationship exist?

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

8. Is there a hero in the section beginning with Rev. Lemuel Wiley and ending with Anthony Findlay? If so, who and why? If not, why not?

9. What are the types of people included in the section beginning with Fiddler Jones and ending with Mrs. George Reece? Give one example of each.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What major events that happened in the town of Spoon River are explained in the epitaphs and the Spooniad?

Essay Topic 2

How does Masters explore ethics in "Spoon River Anthology"? Use the example of at least one resident to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Whose story is the most important in "Spoon River Anthology"? Why? How does this person's story affect the rest of the residents?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample