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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. Why did Edith say John wouldn't sunburn?

2. What was Leona's surname?

3. What brand of automobile did Lyman favor?

4. In what year did Leona and John get married?

5. What was Roy's condition for allowing Edith and John to go out together?

Short Essay Questions

1. What complaint did Roy make about John in Chapter 3?

2. What does Sandy say about the article that the Denver Post publishes?

3. Why does Sandy think Roy chose the plot of land that he did?

4. What did John see in the field as he and Sandy drove past the Goodnough farm in Chapter 6?

5. Why did John suspect that the barbed wire may be Roy's and not his own?

6. How is Roy Goodnough described in the first three chapters of the book?

7. How did Lyman stay in touch with Edith after leaving her behind on the farm?

8. How did Ada and Hannah become friends?

9. On what condition did Roy allow John and Edith to date?

10. How did Ada and Roy come to live in Colorado?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author of the novel "The Tie That Binds." What other works is Haruf known for? How do his other novels compare to "The Tie That Binds" in term of tone and style?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the setting of the novel. How does the setting of "The Tie That Binds" help to illustrate or convey the themes and motifs of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the narrator of the novel, Sandy. What are his defining character traits? Is he a reliable narrator? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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