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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. What do Frank and Paul discuss while outside?

2. Where is Frank flying to in order to interview a football player as a human interest story?

3. Despite Frank's divorce, who is Frank still friends with?

4. How many siblings does Frank have?

5. What disease did Frank's son have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Divorced Men Club?

2. What happens when Frank arrives to pick Vicki up to go with him on the trip to Detroit in Chapter 2?

3. Why does Frank have trouble saying "I love you," even to Vicki?

4. Frank returns to the hotel in Detroit after the interview to find Vicki depressed. Why is Vicki depressed?

5. How has the death of their son Ralph taken a big toll on Frank and X?

6. Explain Frank's biggest conflict in his life at this beginning of the story.

7. Why do Frank and Vicki decide to leave Detroit early?

8. What is Frank nervous about with Vicki in Detroit?

9. Who is Walter?

10. Why does Walter feel drawn to Frank?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Frank wants to be normal. He is jealous of those people he gets to know or sees that have a "normal" life. What does Frank consider to be normal? Name three people in the story that Frank believes have a normal life and give details of how Frank believes their life is normal.

Essay Topic 2

Frank and X are hit hard with the loss of their son Ralph to Reye's Syndrome. What grieving process does each parent use for themselves to help them through the death of their son? Give specific details or examples from the story to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

There are several characters in this book who seem to have no direction in their life. Students will choose one of the following characters from the book; Frank, Walter, or X. Students will then write about how the book details or shows this character has no direction in their life and how they are lost in a quiet despair.

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