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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 severely injured Francesco?

2. Of what activities is Isom fond?

3. How does C.J.'s grandfather address him?

4. What does Ben Honaker do for a living?

5. Why is Dillon making a banjo?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Rondal and C.J. argue about and what does Rondal tell C.J. about the miners?

2. What does Rondal do after working in the mines for two years and what is the response to his efforts?

3. What is the medical situation for black coal miners, how does Dr. Booker get medicine for a cholera epidemic and what does Booker show C.J. about black coal miners?

4. What does Carrie do after nursing school and where does she live?

5. What does Rondal think his father refers to when he talks about the snake and where does most of Clabe's earnings go?

6. From Clabe's stories to Rondal how has the family land changed and what does Clabe and his family do on Sundays?

7. What happens to Johnson and why does Rondal leave town?

8. What does C.J. realize about Rondal and what does he do about it? How does Rondal respond?

9. Why does Carrie learn to hunt, what does Miles' father want him to do after high school and what does he do?

10. What do the club members discover when they arrive back home and what do they do in response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As in almost any text, there are a number of symbols and metaphors present in Storming Heaven. Discuss one of the following:

1. Choose three major symbols in the novel and discuss their meanings as they occur in various places throughout the text.

2. Choose two major metaphors in the novel and discuss their meanings as they occur in various places throughout the text.

3. Discuss the symbol of "Storming Heaven" as it relates to the miners forming unions.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. Compare/contrast Rowley Flint with Edgar Swift. How are they alike? How are they different? Are they sympathetic characters? Who would you most likely have as a friend? Why? Is each one believable? Why or why not.

2. Compare/contrast Rowley Flint with Karl Richter. How are they alike? How are they different? Are they sympathetic characters? Who would you most likely have as a friend? Why? Is each one believable? Why or why not.

3. Compare/contrast Mary as she seems early in the book and in her flashbacks to how Mary is by the end of the book. Is she the same? Different? Wiser? More or less daring? Is she likable? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Plots are sometimes said to be either character-driven or action-driven. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think Storming Heaven is more character-driven or action-driven? Explain.

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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