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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 type of transportation does Flannery require in New York City?

2. What skill does Flannery seem to do well?

3. Which of the following does Flannery have to manage in her life?

4. On what day was Flannery O'Connor born?

5. How much is the advance Flannery may need to repay if she leaves Harcourt Brace?

Short Essay Questions

1. How can a photo of Flannery falling with a bottle of liquor in her hand be misconstrued?

2. What does Flannery write about the Ku Klux Klan and racism in a letter in this section?

3. What is the range of criticism and praise for Flannery's work when she releases WISE BLOOD?

4. How does the reader know that the person known as "A" is an important one in Flannery's life?

5. What is Flannery's lifestyle after she leaves Yaddo?

6. In what slang style does Flannery sometimes slip into in her letters?

7. What is the name of Flannery's home and how does she describe it?

8. What writing advice does Flannery give to Cecil Dawkins?

9. When and where was Flannery born and where did she live as a child?

10. What do Flannery's letters always seem to be a blend of?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the significance of the book's title. What does the editor mean by "The Habit of Being?" Suggest three alternate titles for this book with supporting text for each one.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the role of women in the rural South in the mid-twentieth century. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have? Why would Flannery both have fit in in rural Georgia while at the same time distinguishing herself there? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Flannery O'Connor is famous for her use of terrifying or shocking situations for her characters. Based on what you know about her from her letters, why do you think O'Connor chose shocking and frightening situations for her characters? Are you surprised that this type of characterization could come from such a seemingly demure Southern woman? Explain.

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