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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. Willard was killed where?

2. The marriage was a happy one, until what?

3. Together as what do May and Ruth work?

4. Matt lives in a world that does not include who?

5. May, either intentionally or unintentionally, does not notice what about Ruth?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ruth recall about school?

2. Who is Dee Dee Foote? What does Dee Dee Foote bring out in May?

3. What does Ruth remember about a mistake she made cooking one night? Why is she afraid to tell Aunt Sid this story?

4. What did May do after Willard's death?

5. What does Ruth do after high school?

6. What happens between Randall and Ruth? What happens at about the same time?

7. How did May and Willard's marriage come to an end?

8. What leads to Ruth torturing Matt?

9. Describe Ruth's first meeting with Aunt Sid.

10. With what was May burdened? Why? How did she feel about this?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ruth and Ruby meet on the lake.

Part 1) Describe this first meeting. What is learned about Ruby at this meeting? How does his past influence who he is at this point?

Part 2) How does this relationship progress? How is their demise foreshadowed? Why do they not see this?

Part 3) How different might Ruth's life have been if she had married Randall? Use the text to support your response.

Essay Topic 2

Ruth learns she is pregnant.

Part 1) How do May and Ruby react to this news? Why do they react this way?

Part 2) Is this pregnancy a good idea? Why or why not? How does this pregnancy and Justin's birth both help and hurt this family?

Part 3) Would this family have survived if Justin had not been born? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Ruth lives in Honey Creek, Illinois.

Part 1) Describe Honey Creek. How is Ruth a part of this community?

Part 2) How does this community influence Ruth? How does the early description of this town prepare the reader for the rest of the book?

Part 3) How does your own town influence you? What can be learned about you by learning about the town?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 968 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample