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 ended up drawing Ruth and Jack closer to one another?

2. What was the climax of the frustration with Will?

3. After Mat extends his invitation to Jack, what does Jack do?

4. What is the best description of Jack's relationship with Will Wells?

5. Where does Jack rest in Chapter Four?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Hannah Coultner and what is her relationship to the Feltner family?

2. What was the relationship like between Jack and Will Wells?

3. How would Jack feel after his nights off?

4. What was Jack's relationship with his father like?

5. What was Jack's relationship with Ben Feltner?

6. What is Jack's relationship with Nancy?

7. Why did Jack confront McGrother?

8. What memory does Jack have about a day in church when he noticed someone new?

9. How did Jack end up getting to know the person he noticed during church, and what was their future relationship?

10. What happens to Ruth and Jack's marriage after their daughter is born?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that explains how foreshadowing is used in the novel. When is foreshadowing used? Is foreshadowing used for a sole purpose, or for several different purposes in the novel? Did you notice foreshadowing as you were reading the novel the first time, or did you remember the elements of foreshadowing after you finished the novel? Be sure to give specific examples to support your analysis.

Essay Topic 2

Of note in the novel is the emphasis that the author places on the slow death of the agrarian society in America post World War II. Write an essay that summarizes how Berry showed that agrarian society was dying out and being replaced by modern society. Give examples from the novel that show how Berry could have possibility felt about the issue as he wrote the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on Jack's wishes for Bible readings at his funeral. Mat seems to know what kind of funeral service Jack would have wanted. Although Jack wanted a simple service, Mat mentioned that Jack would have wanted the Psalms from the Bible read during this funeral. Does this surprise you, considering the fact that Jack never really paid attention during church? Why would Jack have wanted a religious funeral when religion did not play a part of his life other than something he did on Sunday mornings? Was a religious service something that the Port Williams people just did because it was the culture at the time, or did Jack really believe in the religion?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 923 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample