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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. Who are Joanie and Tom Guthrie?

2. What pie does Lucille make in Section 4?

3. What is laying at the base of Benjamin Spencer's headstone in Section 4?

4. What secret skill does Arthur have?

5. Where do Arthur and Steve meet in Section 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Lucille admit to Arthur that she did the day after Frank died, in Section 3?

2. How does Lucille feel about Maddy once she meets her in Section 3?

3. What is the agreement that Arthur and Maddy come to in Section 3?

4. What does Maddy cry to Arthur about in Section 4?

5. What is Lucille's house like, in Section 3, when Arthur brings her over a plate of food?

6. What is the importance of the dollhouse furniture in Section 4?

7. What happens when Lucille returns from the hospital in Section 3?

8. What does Maddy say about death, to Arthur, in Section 4?

9. What has Maddy been learning about in Section 4, that she shares with Arthur?

10. What does Arthur say to Lucille to keep her calm in her driveway in Section 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Section 5, Arthur remembers how he and Nola used to go square dancing. How does he use square dancing as a metaphor for life?

Essay Topic 2

In Section 4, Arthur says, "But the longer I live, the more I come to see that love is not so easy for everyone. It can get awfully complicated. It can make us do good things and it can make us do bad things too" (158-159). How do these lines apply to the different characters in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the character of Mr. Lyons. What role does he play in the novel? How does his inclusion help to develop the other characters in the text?

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