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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 heart attacks does Jack's father have?

2. Who says there should be a funeral for Mother?

3. Who does not cry as they wait to tell the others about Mother's death?

4. Who notices increased acne but doesn't do anything about it?

5. Who has a serious talk with Jack at the beginning of Chapter 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Tom tired of being a boy?

2. Why does the whole family attack Father verbally over a decision he made regarding Julie's extracurricular activities?

3. Who is present during Father's final heart attack and why is it initially unnoticed?

4. What does Julie tell Jack she imagines will happen between Father and Tom as Father's health declines?

5. After they go back inside the house, what plans for Mother's body do the three older siblings discuss?

6. What does Jack notice about his mother when he sees her from a distance in Chapter 2?

7. What was Jack doing and why does he run off at the end of Chapter 2?

8. What happens when Tom points out his bully to Jack?

9. How does Jack release tension in the garden at the beginning of Chapter 4? Why does he stop?

10. How does Jack's acne problem affect him socially?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the difference between tone and mood in literature? How are they similar? How are both communicated to a reader?

Essay Topic 2

Define foil. Who is the foil of this novel and why?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the point of view from which the novel is written. Does this point of view make the story more or less believable? Select a different point of view and explain how this novel would have changed if written from it.

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