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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 is Mister Bilderbach?

2. Who was Miss Amelia's husband?

3. What news about Marvin does Marvin's brother give to Amelia?

4. To where does Amelia retreat after her defeat?

5. How does Amelia spend the rest of her life?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the old man come to terms with his wife's leaving him for another man?

2. How can Amelia's life be characterized?

3. What does Mister Bilderbach try to get Frances to play in her lesson to get her enthused again?

4. What is Mr. Brook's first clue that Madame Zilensky may have mental issues?

5. What does the old man tell the boy about the woman he had been married to?

6. Why has Frances begun to dread her piano lessons even though she is technically very competent?

7. Compare and contrast John's life now with the new life Elizabeth has created.

8. Why do the men in town get riled up on the day after Cousin Lymon's arrival and what are their plans?

9. How does much of the story play out in Frances' head?

10. What is happening to Frances which Mister Bilderbach is completely unaware of?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe some of the settings for the story. What is the overall setting? Be sure to include geography, time period, and any pertinent popular culture events. Why did the author choose to use these places in the story?

Essay Topic 2

"Ballad of the Sad Cafe" is a classic story of love and betrayal. What does that classification entail? Why does this story fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Carson McCullers is famous for her use of shocking situations for her characters. Select three situations from any of the stories and explain why they fit into this classification.

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This section contains 1,102 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample