View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Goolrick begin to obsess about?

2. What word do the Goolrick's use instead of fabrics?

3. What does Roy practice on Goolrick?

4. What happened to brother at college?

5. What does Mrs. Lackman do to the young man who accidentally wets himself?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain what happened the morning after Goolrick was molested.

2. What does Goolrick make clear in this chapter about his grandmother?

3. Explain the confrontation between Goolrick and his mother in the first grade.

4. Describe what happened when Goolrick's brother refused to eat when they were children.

5. Explain how Goolrick and his siblings coerce their mother into buying things, and how they pay for it.

6. Describe the creek and explain why it is "violently sexy".

7. What does Goolrick mean by "how did they thrive so long, and then fail" at the end of this chapter?

8. Explain Goolrick's story of his "real" parents.

9. What seems to be Goolrick's primary premise in "How I Went On"?

10. Summarize Goolrick's experiences during kindergarten and first grade.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "A Persistence of Song," Goolrick notes that he writes the novel with the hope that he can save one child from molestation. Do you think Goolrick's novel has the power to impact someone enough not to rape a child? Why or why not? Do you think the pain Goolrick's suffers in the novel is enough to convince a pedophile that their actions are not only inappropriate, but that they can ruin a life? Why? Do you think an alcoholic parent might take a moment to think about their actions with their children after reading this book?

Essay Topic 2

Explain, in detail, why the burned dress of Goolrick's mother made such an impact on him in "Burn." What did the dresses symbolize to Goolrick, and therefore, what did the damaged dress symbolize? Did Goolrick ever determine what was lost in his family? If so, what was it? If not, what do you think was missing in Goolrick's family?

Essay Topic 3

Goolrick's mother, according to Goolrick in "The End of the World as We Know It," seemed to blame him for the molestation, as though he had done something to deserve it, or had somehow asked for it. Do you think this is merely how Goolrick felt, or do you think she actually felt this way? Why? How did she show her feelings for Goolrick, according to his statements in the rest of the novel? Was she kind, horrific, or both, and why? Be sure to use examples from the book.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,185 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample