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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. How does Mother feel when Paul turns down the trip after her birthday?

2. What makes Mother connect with Paul?

3. How much money does Mother hope to get on her birthday?

4. What does Paul spend all his time thinking about after his mother's birthday?

5. Where is Paul told to take a trip to after Mother's birthday?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mother get for her birthday?

2. How is Mother unlucky even after getting rich?

3. What does Mother do when she gets her birthday present?

4. How does Paul respond when Mother tries to help him when she gets worried about him?

5. What is the first thing Mother does when she comes home from her party?

6. What does Mother do with her birthday gift?

7. Why does Paul think he was able to predict all the horse winners?

8. How does Paul choose the winners of the horse races?

9. What initially worries Mother about Paul?

10. What does Mother say caused her family a lot of grief when she was younger?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Despair was a theme that was placed in a number of sensitive places in this plot. What are some of these places, and what role did despair play in this book?

Essay Topic 2

What role does symbolism play in the story and where does it appear? How is the plot altered by the presence of these symbols?

Essay Topic 3

How did Mother treat her children, and what effect did this have on their behavior throughout the book?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 624 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample