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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. The narrator notes in Chapter 1 that when teasing or calling his friends to seriousness, Adrian would address the narrator by what name?

2. Where did the narrator go to meet his friend to discuss Adrian's suicide after he arrived home?

3. Why did Adrian write to the narrator during his senior year of college?

4. How long after the narrator's marriage to Margaret did they have their first child?

5. How long after the narrator's marriage to Margaret did she take up with a fellow who ran a restaurant?

Short Essay Questions

1. What philosophical arguments are made regarding the act of suicide among the protagonist and his friends during high school?

2. What is the significance of the memory fragments that are presented by the narrator in the opening of Chapter 1?

3. What do the protagonist and Alex conclude regarding Adrian's suicide?

4. Why does the protagonist feel that Veronica may be partly to blame for Adrian's suicide?

5. Why is the protagonist angered by the fact that Adrian is labeled as mentally disturbed regarding his suicide?

6. Whom did the protagonist marry? How does he describe the early years of their marriage?

7. What does the letter from Adrian say regarding Veronica in Chapter 1?

8. What is the protagonist's mother's theory regarding Adrian's suicide? How does the protagonist respond to this theory?

9. Who is Old Joe Hunt and what role does he play in the narrative?

10. What are the protagonist's impressions of the Ford family when he meets them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Tony's trio of friends during high school and their relationships. What brings these boys together? How do they show their dedication to their "pack"? What are their main shared interests?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the narrator/protagonist's experiences when he visits the Ford family home. How does the narrator regard Mr. Ford? What are his impressions of Jack? Why is the narrator taken aback by his exchange with Mrs. Ford?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the various settings that are presented in The Sense of an Ending. Where does the novel begin? Where does it end? How does the author use imagery in describing these settings?

(see the answer keys)

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