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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. The nurses keep mentioning in the novel that the doctor is named after what?

2. Where did John Irving grow up?

3. When Homer turns to Gray's Anatomy for additional information on the fetus in Chapter 5, the fetus information is where in the book?

4. Who is one of the nurses who works in the boys' division of the hospital orphanage and who tries to never repeat names when naming the babies?

5. While Dr. Larch permits Homer to deliver babies, he doesn't allow Homer to do what in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Dr. Larch decide to go when leaving Boston in Chapter 2? Who invites him to a party and why, in this chapter?

2. How does the setting of Heart's Haven and Heart's Rock compare to the orphanage in Chapter 4?

3. What does the character of Melony symbolize in Homer's life in Chapter 3?

4. What is foreshadowed about the life and career of Dr. Larch in Chapter 2?

5. Discuss the symbolism and foreshadowing in Chapter 4. What is foreshadowed by Candy's pregnancy?

6. What is symbolic about Dr. Larch's choices for the books read to the orphans in Chapter 3?

7. Where does Wally invite Homer to go with him in Chapter 5?

8. How is Melony described by the author in Chapter 3? What age is Melony?

9. What is Dr. Larch's reaction to Homer's leaving the orphanage in Chapter 5? What is foreshadowed?

10. How do the characters of Homer and Wally relate in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss Melony's decision to run away from the orphanage and her theft from Mrs. Grogan. How does Melony feel about this action of deceit? What are the reactions of Dr. Larch and Mrs. Grogan after Melony's disappearance? How does Mrs. Grogan react to her money being stolen?

Essay Topic 2

Define and discuss literary allusion and the novels "David Copperfield" and "Jane Eyre". What is symbolic in Dr. Larch choosing these novels to read to the children? What do these novels have in common? How do the orphans in the novel respond to these books?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the setting of St. Cloud's, Maine, and the time period in which the novel begins. What indications does the author give to illustrate the time and place of the novel? Why is the time period important to the plot of the narrative? How does the imagery set the tone for the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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