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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Richard Allen Mesington get along with Harv Kline?
(a) They are best friends
(b) They fight about nearly everything
(c) They like each other as neighbors
(d) They like to hunt together

2. Where was Richard Allen Mesington born?
(a) Philadelphia
(b) New York
(c) Salt Lake City, Utah
(d) Willow, Colorado

3. What does Richard Allen Mesington call the first heavy equipment he sees moving earth?
(a) A "Harley" (p. 75)
(b) Savage and destructive (p. 74)
(c) A "[B]iiig dog" (p. 75)
(d) A "bughoe" (p. 75)

4. How does Richard Allen Mesington refer to the first bear he sees as an infant?
(a) "Daddy!" (p. 73)
(b) "B... b... b..." (p. 73)
(c) "[B]iiig dog" (p. 73)
(d) "[B]ughoe" (p. 73)

5. After John Byam, what act is never performed on the "sweet" rifle?
(a) Cleaning it up
(b) Firing it
(c) Checking to see if it is loaded
(d) Selling it

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Harv Kline's favorite time of year?

2. In the novel, how many people actually fire the "sweet" rifle?

3. How old is Richard Allen Mesington when he has his first crush on Peggy?

4. From what ailment did Richard Allen Mesington suffer as an infant?

5. According to the novel, how much pressure does a black powder charge generate?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the early life of Richard Allen Mesinger .

2. The Mesinger family moves several times during the novel; what impact does this have on Richard Allen Mesinger?

3. What happens when the rifle accidentally discharges above Harv Kline's fireplace?

4. What experiences does Mesinger have with firearms in his life?

5. Describe Richard Allen Mesinger's academic performance.

6. Describe the chain of events that leads to the rifle being above Harv Kline's fireplace.

7. What does Richard Allen Mesinger think about his neighbor Harv Kline's antique gun?

8. The novel summarizes the life that Richard Allen Mesinger "would" have had if he had not been killed. Is this a valid narrative technique?

9. Is the "sweet" rifle a work of art?

10. Tim Harrow owns the "sweet" rifle for a few days. He buys it, wraps it up in cloth, and trades it away a few days later. As a character, Harrow has no narrative function beyond transporting the rifle from point A to point B, just like Sarah, an editor, an antique dealer, and a gun collector. Yet the novel spends a significant portion of its space developing Harrow as a character. Why?

(see the answer keys)

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