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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 is the economic base of the town?

2. Who is the girl that Nick spends a lot of time with?

3. What do Nick and his father discuss as they leave the Indian camp?

4. As the story begins, who has just punched Nick?

5. How does Nick's father help the Indian woman?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Nick's fear of death exhibit again in this story?

2. What is Marjorie's relationship to Nick and how does he feel about the relationship at this point?

3. What are Nick and his friend, George, doing in this story and what fear does George share about the nature of their relationship?

4. Why does Hemingway mention Mark Twain and his characters in the story?

5. How is the topic of marriage presented again in this story?

6. How do Nick's uncle and father react when Nick summons them to return to camp?

7. What is Hemingway's fascination with boxers and what happens to the boxers mentioned in these stories?

8. What information does the editor share about unpublished material found in the book?

9. In what way could this story be autobiographical for Hemingway?

10. What is the premise of the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the Story, "The Battler," Nick is beaten by a train Brakeman but not punched at all by Ad Francis, a former prizefighter. Explain the irony in Nick's situation with these two different characters. What life lessons does Nick learn from each of them?

Essay Topic 2

War is a recurring theme in some of the Stories in the book. How are killing and war perceived by the young men when it seems like sport at first? How do the perceptions change when they are seriously wounded, as Nick is? How do they manage the aftermath of war and the personal toll it takes on them?

Essay Topic 3

Create a character study of Nick's father. What are his physical characteristics? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What are his dreams? What else can you say about Nick?

(see the answer keys)

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