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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. How many happy memories does Ruth have of her family?

2. When they finally married, most people thought it was for what reason?

3. Ruth remembers one Christmas when the Reverend at her church announced what?

4. Ruth remembers her first meeting with who?

5. Does Ruth intend to stay the first few times she goes to Miss Finch's?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Ruth think about these letters from Sid? Why?

2. What is one memory Ruth has of her father?

3. What happens when Ruth is moved up to a normal English class?

4. What does Matt do after high school graduation?

5. What are two stories Ruth tells to show how unpredictable her mother is?

6. How does Ruth's time at Miss Finch's affect her?

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

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

9. What does Ruth do after high school?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Tensions build in the Grey-Dahl household.

Part 1) How do tensions build at various times in the story? Why do they build? How does this tension affect the various characters?

Part 2) Is this tension worse at the end of the story? Why or why not? Could this tension have been relieved at any point? If so, how? If not, why not?

Part 3) How does tension help to move the plot along? How does it create action in this story?

Essay Topic 3

Ruth vacations with Sid.

Part 1) What was Ruth's original vacation plan? Why does this first plan fall through? What does this reveal about Ruby?

Part 2) How important is this vacation to Ruth? Why do May and Ruby react the way they do regarding Ruth's vacation? How do their reactions affect Ruth?

Part 3) Describe a vacation on which you have gone. Why was it important to you? How were you changed by it?

(see the answer keys)

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