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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 does Ted do after he becomes enraged at Mel?

2. What does Mel say his murdered friend preferred to risk rather than share his feelings?

3. Why does Mel think he was not being unfair to Lyla to marry her?

4. How does Mel feel when Lyla asks him to dance?

5. What does Mel's first film concern?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where is White called to become the senior pastor, and what does Lyla do at the same church?

2. Describe Mel's relationship with Gordon H.

3. Describe Mel's brief involvement with Ted.

4. What happens to White's career in the 1970s?

5. What does Mel say about whom he might blame for his homosexuality and his feeling miserable as an adolescent?

6. Where does White begin meeting gay men, and who is the "Dr. Smith" that White meets this way?

7. What does White worry about on his honeymoon, and how does he solve the problem?

8. Whom does Mel consider himself a child of as far as religion is concerned?

9. What movie and book does White produce while serving as the pastor of Evangelical Covenant?

10. Describe how Mel and Lyla met.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mel White writes of the bullying and suicide problems among homosexuals, especially gay boys and men. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think homosexuals, especially males, are bullied? Do you think bullying of homosexuals (or anyone) is justified for any reason?

2. Do you know of any instances when a homosexual you know or know of has been bullied? Was anything done to remedy the situation? What? If not, what do you think should have been done?

3. Why do you think suicide is higher among young homosexuals than young people in general? Do you think anything can be done to change that? What?

4. Do you know any homosexual who has attempted or succeeded at suicide? Do you know the reason(s)?

Essay Topic 2

Homosexuality is one of the predominant themes of Stranger at the Gate. Discuss the following:

1. Research the history of homosexuality in the United States and write an informative essay about what you find. Relate the information to what you read in Stranger at the Gate.

2. Engaging in homosexual acts used to be a crime in the United States. It was only in 2003 that laws against homosexual acts were declared invalid. Do you think homosexual acts should be legislated? Upon what basis?

3. Many other countries still have laws against homosexuality--some of them outlaw only male-male sex; others any homosexual sex. Research one country that still outlaws homosexual sex and compare/contrast their culture in regards to religion and sex to that of the United States.

Essay Topic 3

Most people are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and both Mel White and Jerry Falwell are no exceptions.

1. Trace and analyze situations when White and Falwell each demonstrates his admirable traits. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze both White and Falwell's character flaws, and explain how the flaws create the conflicts in the book. How do you think either man's character flaws make some situations more difficult for him?

3. After analyzing each man's strengths and weaknesses, decide if each man is an appropriate "hero" of the story. Is there anyone else who might be a more admirable "hero"?

(see the answer keys)

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