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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 old is Hazel Wickers?

2. Where is Old Dudley living?

3. In “The Peeler”, what is the yellow-haired boy’s name?

4. Who does Mr. Shiflit marry?

5. Where does “The Heart of the Park” take place?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Mrs. Willerton wish that she had more time for?

3. Why does Enoch steal the gorilla suit?

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

5. Though General Sash does not want to go to his granddaughter’s graduation, why does he agree to anyhow?

6. Why doesn’t Hazel Wickers believe that the porter’s father was a railroad engineer?

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

8. How does Mrs. Willerton feel about her daily life?

9. What is Old Gabriel afraid of besides the wildcat?

10. What does Old Dudley think about New York?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

O’Connor’s work is often described as morbid, namely because she often has children die in her stories. How many stories have similarly neglected small children that die at the end? What does this represent?

Essay Topic 2

Racism is a major theme in all of O’Connor’s stories. Discuss your idea of Flannery O'Connor's beliefs about racism. How would her work be received today?

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)

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