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. On what type of property had Fiona's father grown up?

2. For how many years have Fiona and Grant lived in their house by the time Fiona moves to Meadowlake?

3. What two scents are said to have accompanied the colleagues of Grant's as they returned from their nights of debauchery?

4. During Fiona's college years, she is described as seeing politics as a what?

5. What term is used to describe Fiona's mother's political stance?

Short Essay Questions

1. What event made it possible for both Fiona and Grant to retire early?

2. In what way does Munro use the dream motif to reveal information about Grant?

3. What is the symbolism of the yellow notes Grant had started to find around the house?

4. What would Grant have considered the ultimate price to pay for his adulterous ways?

5. In what month does Fiona move into Meadowlake and why?

6. What details lead the reader to conclude that Fiona and Grant's marriage had positive qualities?

7. What comment does Fiona make on the way to Meadowlake that makes Grant want to turn the car around?

8. What job had Fiona done prior to taking early retirement?

9. How and when did Fiona and Grant first meet?

10. When the narrative moves into the present, what setting is depicted?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sensory details are used frequently by Munro in order to create vivid pictures of each character's progression through the narrative of "The Bear Came Over the Mountain." Choose three scenes in which sensory details are heavily used and discuss how the sensory details used serve Munro’s creation of vivid characters to populate the narrative.

Essay Topic 2

Choose an object from "The Bear Came Over the Mountain," such as the mattress, the house shoes, or some other symbolic object and discuss its overall meaning and its connection to themes within the text.

Essay Topic 3

What is the function of Aubrey's character within the story? Discuss the characterization methods used by Munro in depicting Aubrey and include in your discussion the reasons that Munro portrays Aubrey in these particular ways.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,013 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample