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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 Arthur bring over to Lucille's for the dinner party in Section 3?

2. What snack does Lucille offer Maddy when she barges into her room in Section 4?

3. What has Arthur wanted in his room since he was little?

4. What is the first thing Lucille decides to make in her class, in Section 3?

5. Why does Maddy threaten to move out in Section 4?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In Section 3, how do Steve and Arthur express their grief over their wives differently?

3. What does Arthur tell Maddy about the Guthries in Section 4?

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

5. How do Lucille, Maddy, and Arthur react to the changing weather from summer to fall?

6. How would you describe Lucille and Maddy's relationship in Section 4?

7. What does Arthur say to Maddy, about love, in Section 4?

8. How does Maddy feel when Arthur tells her, in Section 4, that he has asked Lucille to move in with them?

9. What is discussed between Steven and Arthur in Section 3?

10. What is the agreement that Arthur and Maddy come to 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

What does Maddy's baby symbolize in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the way Steve and Arthur grieve for their wives. Which is the healthier way? What is the impact on the other characters in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,157 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample