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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. Sylder and John Wesley walk to the house of Sylder's friend, _____________.

2. What is Kenneth's ultimate decision?

3. About what do Sylder and June question Jack the Runner?

4. What does Sylder do after the man and his son leave?

5. What came about as a result of Prohibition?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Why is the old man afraid of cats and what extreme measures has he taken to keep them at bay?

4. What is the most that John Wesley has ever caught in his traps?

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

6. What is the name of the town where Marion Sylder is from and in what year was he born?

7. What other possible explanation could there be for Sylder's driving fast to elude the police?

8. What happens to Sylder after the flat tire is fixed?

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

10. What do the voices in the woods tell John Wesley to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses more than one theme in the novel. Identify at least two themes in the story and then cite an example to support each theme.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the concept of loneliness as it exhibits in the story. Which of the characters are lonely? Are they all lonely in some way? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,065 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample