View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When was the fourth lobster war?

2. What does Owney show Ruth near a tiny island in Chapter 7?

3. What does Fagan do for a living?

4. Why does Ruth call Stan a liar and a coward in Chapter 12?

5. Who is president of Ruth's company?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What do Ruth and Owney do in Chapter 11?

3. What do Ruth and Lanford discuss in Chapter 10?

4. Why is Kitty so out of sorts in Chapter 12?

5. What happens when Stan visits Ruth at Rhonda's in Chapter 12?

6. Why does Owney have hidden lobsters?

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

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

9. Describe the drive to Rockland in Chapter 7.

10. What do Ruth and Toby say to one another on the topic of religion in Chapter 10?

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

Discuss the setting of the novel. In what way is the setting an important aspect of this story? How might Ruth's life have been different if she had not lived in the lobster fishing community?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and interpret the protagonist of the novel. Ruth Thomas. What are her defining character traits? What is most important to her and why? What important events take place during her life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 940 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample