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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 are Gloria and Kitty?

2. When do the men on the islands go to war?

3. Who is Edith?

4. To what type of establishment is Ruth sent unwillingly in Chapter 2?

5. What is Ruth's first word?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Stan and Mary meet? What do they think of one another when they first meet?

2. Who is Mary? What does the reader learn of Mary's past in Chapter 4?

3. What do Ruth, Cal and Toby talk about while on the New Hope in Chapter 5?

4. Describe Ruth's childhood as described in Chapter 1.

5. What happens in Chapter 4 when Ruth tells Stan and Angus about the money Lanford gave her?

6. What does Simon think of Lanford?

7. What do Simon and Webster look for at Potter Beach in Chapter 2 and why?

8. What does Ruth do after graduation?

9. Who is Ricky? What does the reader learn about Ricky in Chapter 6?

10. What does Simon tell Rhonda not to do in Chapter 1? Why does he give her this advice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the conflict in the novel "Stern Men". Who is in conflict with whom? Describe the lobster wars and how these conflicts impacted the characters involved. How is Ruth's conflict with the Ellis' resolved?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the secondary characters of the novel. Who are they and what are their roles in the novel? Describe their relationships with Ruth.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Ruth's dreams and why she desires them. What is the connection between Ruth's dreams and ambitions and the setting of the novel? What obstacles might have prevented Ruth from achieving her dreams?

(see the answer keys)

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