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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 Merton find disappointing about the pastor at Zion Church?

2. Who does Merton say gave him the only valuable religious and moral training he had received?

3. What did Pop allow the 15-year-old Merton to do that really impressed him?

4. With whom does Merton stay in England?

5. What book does Bramachari recommend to Merton?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Merton's reaction to hearing about Gethsemani for the first time?

2. What does his teaching job at St. Bonaventure mean to Merton?

3. What characterizes the life of Merton's parents?

4. How does his father set an example for Merton's later life?

5. How does looking at frescoes in Rome impact Merton?

6. What is the significance of Bob Lax in the Epilogue?

7. Why might Merton have been embarrassed by his grandfather's visit to France?

8. What does Merton do while waiting to enter the monastery?

9. How does Merton handle his spiritual condition upon returning from Cuba?

10. How does the reader know in Part 1, Chapter 2, that Merton was thinking about religion while he was at school in England?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Merton was admitted to Cambridge University in England, but he never attends classes there, choosing instead to go the Columbia University in New York. What does this decision and the events surrounding it show about Merton's character and personality?

Essay Topic 2

Merton speaks of his parents' dislike of "spooky prejudices that devour people." What, in your opinion, are some examples of these "spooky prejudices" and does the rejection of these things by Merton's father and mother make them better or worse as parents? Do you think that Merton carried on the legacy of his parents in his adult life?

Essay Topic 3

Merton had spoken with his Aunt Maude about becoming a journalist or writing novels, but changes his mind at Columbia and decides to teach. What was Merton's motivation for making this decision and what did he hope to accomplish? Does he succeed in meeting these goals? Please support your answers with examples from the text.

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This section contains 900 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample