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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. From what holiday does Kismet wash dishes for Winnie?

2. What had been Stockton’s father’s profession?

3. For what motel does Martin head after his first bank robbery?

4. What color of paint had Crystal used on her walls?

5. What kind of tree is Kismet standing beside when she finds her great-grandfather’s bone?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Winnie’s contemporaries favor the kind of small dogs she has?

2. How does Charley defuse the situation with Eric at Gary’s second wedding reception?

3. Why does Dale work the worst parts of sugar beet hauling?

4. What does Eric discuss with Kismet when he dances with her at her second wedding reception?

5. What was the first job Crystal had in sugar production?

6. Why is a funeral cake served at Kismet’s second wedding reception?

7. Why is lambsquarters considered the Prince of Greens?

8. Why is Bev excluded from Kismet’s second wedding reception?

9. Why does Gary’s father exert himself at Gary’s second wedding reception?

10. What does Gary’s father describe as his “farmer car” (207)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Within the novel, there are gestures towards things that might be called supernatural. Within the context of the novel, are they real or hallucinatory? What in the novel demonstrates as much, and how does it do so?

Essay Topic 2

Consider the setting of the novel. Could its events have happened in any other time than the book presents? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

What attitude towards intoxicants does the novel display? How does it make that attitude clear?

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This section contains 515 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample