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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. At one point during the grandmother's funeral, Margaret wishes she was _____________.

2. What is another name for Somerset County?

3. As a girl, where does Margaret go on winter mornings?

4. What do the road crews discover when they blast through McCarren Hill?

5. Where does Margaret wash the clothes?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe how Margaret's family spend their time when the floods require that they move out of their home for three to four weeks.

2. What are death gifts, and what happens if you touch one?

3. Describe the only act of affection between her grandfather and Margaret that Abigail witnesses.

4. Describe the house that Margaret grows up in.

5. What is the story of the hoop snake?

6. How long does the great-grandmother's funeral last?

7. What does Abigail remember about Robert as a child?

8. Why does it take so long for John to contact Abigail and ask her out for a second date. Describe their dates.

9. What does Margaret's first bedroom at the Howland home look like?

10. What does Abigail remember about the first part of her life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the purpose of naming a child after a parent, in particular, naming sons after their fathers? When William Marshal Howland has a son, he is named only William Howland with the explanation that "his mother having come from ordinary people with no feeling for their name." Is naming of children tied to class or status?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss William's relationship with the townspeople of Madison City in the Book of William.

Essay Topic 3

Describe what the author means by "keep your heart ticking under the sheltering arches of your ribs."

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This section contains 827 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample