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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. Unknown to Dr. Larch, Melony, and Homer, who lay dead in the woods in Chapter 5?

2. What do Melony and Homer see flying in the air by the river in Chapter 3?

3. Homer keeps the photograph shown to him by Melony hidden where in Chapter 3?

4. Wilbur Larch's father is described as having been what?

5. What woman from a high-society family in Boston invites Dr. Larch to a croquet party in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does Dr. Larch ask Homer to perform an autopsy in Chapter 5? What does Homer find?

3. In what ways does Dr. Larch record the history of St. Cloud's as described in Chapter 1?

4. In what ways is St. Cloud's symbolic? How does the author establish this in Chapter 1?

5. How is the atmosphere described in the beginning of Chapter 5? What is symbolic in this description?

6. What imagery does the author use in describing Homer's walks from the girls' division at the orphanage in Chapter 3? What is symbolic about this imagery?

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

8. Who helps Wally and Candy arrive at the orphanage in Chapter 5? What impression do these characters have?

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

10. In what ways do the characters of Olive Worthington and Dr. Larch relate in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of sexuality in the novel. How do Dr. Larch's first sexual experiences relate to those of Homer? How is sexuality perceived by the characters? What are the consequences of sexuality seen in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the symbolism of Dr. Larch in the novel. What does Dr. Larch represent to Homer and the other orphans? How is he viewed by the nurses at the orphanage? What does Dr. Larch represent to the mothers who come to the orphanage?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the character of Homer Wells in the narrative. How old is Homer when he is introduced in Chapter 1? When was Homer brought to the orphanage? How many times is Homer adopted and why do his adoptive parents bring him back to the orphanage?

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