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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. When Russell and Lloyd are camping, where does there seem to be a ghost?

2. What color ribbon does Tansy have in her straw hat for Miss Arbuckle's coffin?

3. What was the scientific diagnosis for Miss Arbuckle's death?

4. When Charlie checks the trotlines, how big is the snake he finds?

5. Where do Russell and Lloyd came out after the Case Special comes through?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Russell describe the way his father is dressed for Miss Arbuckle's funeral?

2. What is the Case Special?

3. What does Charlie find on a trotline when he checks the lines in Chapter 4?

4. What outshines the performers on the Case Special?

5. What does Preacher Parr say about Miss Arbuckle?

6. What does Tansy take out of the coffin and why?

7. Why does Russell think the board hires Tansy rather than a teacher trained at the Terre Haute normal school?

8. How does Russell describe the month of August?

9. How does Russell describe Miss Arbuckle?

10. Why is camping at the creek a sacred part of the year for Russell and Lloyd?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In The Teacher’s Funeral, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 2

Russell and Charlie smoke a buggy whip before school. One of them drops the whip in the dry grass, and a fire starts in the boys' privy. How and why does Russell have to make restitution?

Essay Topic 3

What a reader knows about events and characters is determined by the point of view in a book. What is the point of view in the book? How does the point of view influence what readers know about events and characters? How does it help readers connect with and understand characters, especially Russell?

(see the answer keys)

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