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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. Old Gabriel is _________?

2. Where is Mr. Shiflit running to?

3. How old is Sally Poker Sash?

4. Who reappears in “The Heart of the Park”?

5. What major political movement is coming up in “The Barber”?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Leora?

2. Why does Enoch steal the gorilla suit?

3. Why does Ruby dread Rufus’s arrival?

4. How does Mr. Shiflet convince the widow of his sincerity?

5. Why does Rayber’s old barber call him a “mother hubbard”?

6. Why is Hazel Motes reluctant to befriend Enoch Emery?

7. Why is Ruller so proud to bring the turkey home to his family?

8. What is O’Connor’s message in “The River”?

9. What happens at the end of “A Circle in the Fire”?

10. How do the boys invade the farm, despite the widow asking them to leave in “A Circle in the Fire”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Religion

a. How does religion play a role in short stories in The Complete Stories?

b. What religious motifs arise again and again in O’Connor’s work?

Essay Topic 2

Children appear in many of O’Connor’s stories. What are the roles of children in O’Connor’s work? What happens to children in her stories?

Essay Topic 3

In “Enoch and the Gorilla”, Enoch is jubilant, convinced his outer appearance has changed him inside as well, but when he attempts to befriend a nearby couple, they are terrified of his realistic gorilla look and they run off screaming. What is O’Connor suggesting happens when people change their outward appearance in an attempt to change who they are? What other stories in this collection have characters who attempt at changing physical means to change internally?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 680 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample