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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. When does Toby think Fort Niles will be abandoned?

2. In what year does Ruth become pregnant for the second time?

3. Why does Stan ask about Ruth's plans in Chapter 12?

4. Who takes up with Florida Cobb in Chapter 12?

5. Who ends up in a coma after a fight in Wayside Hotel bar in Rockland?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the other characters doing in the Epilogue?

2. What is Ruth doing for a living in the Epilogue?

3. What does Toby believe is the future of Fort Niles?

4. Where do Ruth and Owney go in Chapter 11?

5. What puts a stop to the last lobster war?

6. What happened to Stan's marriage to Mary during the lobster wars and immediately following the lobster war?

7. What does Ruth want for her future?

8. How does Ruth feel about her sexual experience with Owney in Chapter 11?

9. What does Owney want to be when he is older?

10. What does Rhonda and Mary hope for Ruth and her future?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of the woman on the islands? As a woman, what do Ruth's parents expect of her? How do Ruth's ambitions clash with the social expectations placed upon her?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author of the novel "Stern Men", Elizabeth Gilbert. What are some of the other works she has written? Compare the themes of these other works to "Stern Men".

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