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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. What is the relationship between Benjamin and his father by Chapter V?

2. When does Benjamin's suggestion regarding nails happen?

3. When Benjamin mentions the word "love," what does his father think he said?

4. What is Benjamin's suggestion regarding nails?

5. How does Benjamin try to act regarding Hildegarde?

Short Essay Questions

1. How has Hildegarde changed over the years by Chapter 8?

2. How does Benjamin end up back home from the Spanish-American War?

3. How does Benjamin respond to seeing Hildegarde after three years away at war? Why?

4. What does Roger do to try to prove that his son is actually a young man?

5. How does Benjamin continue to grow younger, both physical and mentally in Chapter 8?

6. Why is the truth about Benjamin’s birth not circulated as much as the wild rumors?

7. What are two of the rumors being spread around society about Benjamin after his engagement to Hildegarde?

8. What are the thoughts of both Roger and Benjamin on their ride home after the dance at the Shevlin estate?

9. How are Hildegarde’s friends wrong about their marriage?

10. What does Benjamin think about the Spanish-American War?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are varying reactions to Benjamin‘s rare condition. What are these reactions? How do they affect Benjamin? How do they make Benjamin‘s life more difficult but also make him stronger? What can the reader learn from this?

Essay Topic 2

Hildegarde Moncrief refuses to believe the truth about Benjamin’s odd way of growing. Why does the refuse to belief the truth? How does she react to his growing younger, once she sees this rumor is true? Would she have married him had she known he would continue to grow younger? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Benjamin goes along with most of his father’s attempts to hide his age and to make him appear normal. What does this say about Benjamin? How does this affect him in the long term? Was this right of his father to do? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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