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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 does Peter excitedly eat with George, prior to the wedding?

2. Why do sissies bother Phil?

3. What is a reason given for why Johnny drinks?

4. Why does Phil initially not take George’s behavior towards Mrs. Gordon too seriously?

5. Why does Phil wonder if George remembered the snow chains for his tires?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does George's behavior change when he begins courting Rose?

2. What does the narrator say about Phil's eyes in Chapter IV?

3. How are Phil and George different from those around them?

4. How might one describe the brothers, Phil and George?

5. How does Peter feel about his new life in Herndon?

6. How does Phil's behavior in college affect George?

7. To what does the narrator compare the cattle drive?

8. What makes both George and Rose reluctant to come home to the ranch?

9. How does George act in a way that surprises Phil, at the end of Chapter VI?

10. How does the narrator describe the town of Beech in Chapter I?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Phil sees Rose's unusual floral arrangement, he realizes that she may be more dangerous than he once thought. What does he mean by this? How might she be dangerous or threatening to Phil? How does Phil fear her? How does this show in his behavior towards her?

Essay Topic 2

The ways of the past are often put up against modern life at the time. How do the various characters handle these changes to their way of life? Why might some have an easier time accepting these changes than others? How can the reader relate to this? What does this say about the past and present?

Essay Topic 3

Phil's death is sudden, but the question is, is it surprising? Had you predicted Phil's death at the hands of Peter? Why or why not? Are there certain aspects of his death that are shocking or surprising? Why or why not? Why might the author have chosen to remove Phil from the picture by having him murdered rather than in another way? How does this choice to murder him affect the story as a whole?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 960 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample