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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 program does the protagonist originally go to college to study?

2. Where does Edith take Grace for a week for the first time alone with her?

3. Who is Stoner surprised to see come to his housewarming party?

4. What is the name of the college the protagonist attended?

5. How much money does Edith bring home from her father in Chapter VI?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are William's meetings with Finch and Masters first described in the book?

2. Why does talk of WWI not penetrate William as it did other students when it begins?

3. How does William come to decide to get a PhD in English?

4. How does William learn about the new agriculture program at the University of Missouri?

5. How is Edith described after she gives birth to Grace?

6. How is William and Lomax's conversation described at William's housewarming party?

7. How has Edith changed when she returns home from her father's funeral?

8. How does Sloane react when William suggests enlisting in WWI?

9. How is William's first meeting with Edith described in the book?

10. How does William react after being offered a teaching job at the University of Missouri?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the theme of dedication that is portrayed in the book. Why does William show such dedication to Edith, especially during his relationship with Katherine, considering the turmoil and challenges he experiences in his home life? What is telling about his nature based on his dedication to his family?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast William and Edith's parenting style in the book. What motivates each of these character's parenting styles in the book and are they successful parents to Grace?

Essay Topic 3

In the first part of the book we are given a summary of the protagonist's life, but by the end we realize he was much more complex than originally portrayed. Part 1.) Why do you think the author chose to summarize William's life at the beginning of the book, what was he trying to portray using this method? Part 2.) How might the author hope summarizing would bring the reader in more deeply to William's situation and was he successful at this? Part 3.) Was William's life as uneventful as suggested in the summary of his life at the beginning of the book or was there much more complexity than originally portrayed?

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