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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 does Flannery tell Sally Fitzgerald about the people who work on her mother's farm?

2. In the first letter of this section, Flannery writes that she and Maryat are both _______________.

3. What does Flannery hope to complete by the end of the year?

4. Flannery wrote her last letter __________________ prior to her death.

5. Whose work does Flannery respect a great deal?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Flannery write regarding faith and skepticism to Alfred Corn?

2. How does Flannery show that her characters become very real for her?

3. How does Flannery describe her writing process?

4. Explain Sally Fitzgerald's suggestion of why Flannery is working so diligently at this point in her life?

5. What is the title of this Part and why is it significant?

6. What does Flannery share with "A" about seeing her novel in print?

7. What is unusual about Flannery's friend, Louise's, visit to a doctor for the flu?

8. What is the nature of the book on which Flannery plans to focus this year?

9. How does Flannery use humor in the incident involving the discovery of body parts?

10. How does Flannery use sarcasm to congratulate a friend on winning a major book award?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Several of Flannery's stories are classic stories of the search for love. What does that classification entail? Why would this powerful drive seem to elude Flannery in her own life? Was this by design? Or was Flannery simply unlucky in her pursuit of love and romance in her life?

Essay Topic 2

Flannery O'Connor was no stranger to disappointment and rejection. From what you know of O'Connor's life and personality through these letters, what were her biggest letdowns? How did she manage through them? How did her coping skills evidence themselves in many aspects of her life? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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This section contains 948 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample