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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 name of the town where Marion Sylder was born?

2. What is the result of Sylder's crash?

3. What does the man in the car ask Sylder to do?

4. Sylder sees the orchard keeper shooting ________________ in the side of a government tank.

5. With what does the man hit Sylder?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the circumstances in which Sylder once again encounters the old man?

2. What do Sylder and June do when they locate the young hitchhikers?

3. What is the whiskey running process in place in the area and what is Sylder's role in it?

4. How does the author give the first clue that Sylder is a bootlegger?

5. Where does Sylder dispose of the body and whose presence is he unaware of?

6. What is the symbolism of the old man firing on the government tank on his property?

7. What is Kenneth Rattner doing as the novel begins?

8. What insight is revealed about Sylder's background?

9. What is life like now for Kenneth Rattner's widow and son, John Wesley, since Rattner is dead?

10. How does Sylder end up killing the man?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a brief character study of Kenneth Rattner. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him at this point?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Gifford. What is his role in the story? What was the author trying to accomplish by creating Gifford's character in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the significance of the novel's title. What did the author mean by calling the book THE ORCHARD KEEPER? Cite an example to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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