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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 is Roy's favorite pastime?

2. What is Irwin's nickname among his family?

3. According to Kincaid, what doe WP stand for?

4. Who is Grandawma's hero?

5. What do Laura and Hugh do for their first date?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reason does Papa give for Mama expecting twins in Chapter 1?

2. As Peter begins to ask and contemplate deep questions in Book Two, where does he turn to seek answers?

3. What do the boys make a pact to pray for at the end of Book Two?

4. What trade does Doctor Franken offer to make with the Chance family in Book Three?

5. How do the boys name the pitches their father practices in Book Two?

6. What did Hugh wear while practicing pitching in the shed?

7. Why does Hugh tell Kincaid it is nonsense to paint a strike zone in his practice bullpen?

8. How does Hugh compare devotion to professional baseball to devotion to religion?

9. How does Laura react to the ultimatum that Hugh gives her at the end of Book Three about her treatment of Peter, Everett, and Kincaid?

10. What political figure does Kincaid compare Laura and "her Bible" to in Book Three and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In The Brothers K, Duncan utilizes many popular historical baseball figures as characters and anecdotes throughout the novel. Using at least three examples of these figures from the text, discuss how the inclusion of these characters affects the plot and directs the themes of the novel.

Essay Topic 2

The relationship of marriage is evident in several different couples in The Brothers K. Compare and contrast Hugh's and Laura's marriage with Irwin's and Linda's marriage or Uncle Marvin's and Aunt Mary Jane's marriage. Point out similarities and differences and what those details infer about the characters in those relationships.

Essay Topic 3

Early on in the novel, Duncan describes a tenuous relationship between Hugh and Laura; however, later, he utilizes a flashback to describe the courtship and early period of their marriage as being quite different. What does this deliberate timeline established by Duncan suggest to the reader about the marriage between Laura and Hugh, what it is based upon, and how it functions? Use specific events from the text to back up your assertions.

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