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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. Against what kind of tree is the woman leaning in the beginning of "Roots"?

2. Who has Olivia just divorced in "Olivia Vandergriff"?

3. Where does Neelay go to study?

4. In what California town does Olivia observe protesters on television who are trying to protect the trees?

5. What is the mushroom that Patricia Westerford almost commits suicide with?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who records the growth of the Hoel chestnut tree? How is it recorded?

2. What does Douglas experience during his service in the Vietnam War?

3. Why does Ray's profession affect his relationship with Dorothy?

4. How did Patricia Westerford develop a love for trees?

5. What is Olivia Vandergriff's life like prior to her electrocution?

6. Where do Ray Brinkman and Dorothy Cazaly go on their first date? Why?

7. What is the Life Defense Force? How does it factor into the novel?

8. Where does Olivia meet Nick? What are their circumstances at the time?

9. How does Mimi feel after her arrest with Douglas at the march in "Trunks"?

10. What was the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's outlook in The Overstory. Do you think that this story is optimistic or pessimistic regarding the future of mankind and the planet? Why? How would you compare the author's views to your own?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the different settings in The Overstory. What do these settings have in common? How are they unique? What imagery is used in describing these settings?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the backstory of Nicholas Hoel. How did Nicholas become connected to trees? How does he become intertwined with the other main characters of the novel? What are Douglas's motivations?

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