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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. Toward the end of Chapter 9, who did Mavis say she was worried about?

2. After Clevis left, which hotel did Sandy leave Twyla at?

3. How many months pregnant was Mavis when the car accident happened?

4. How did Roy die?

5. What did Sandy plan to see at the county fair?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Mavis say about Edith and Lyman while on the Ferris Wheel?

2. What did Edith tell Sandy she was looking forward to towards the end of Chapter 9?

3. When, where, and how did John die?

4. What did Sandy fear would happen if Mavis held her baby?

5. What did Mavis and Edith tease Lyman about at the county fair?

6. Who did John arrange to lease the Goodnough land, and why?

7. What activities were Sandy, Mavis, Edith, and Lyman said to often do together?

8. Why did Mavis and Edith insist on staying at the county fair later than planned?

9. What did Leona announce in 1952?

10. When Mavis decided it was time to get married, what did she tell Sandy to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the character Lyman. What are Lyman's defining character traits? What is his role or purpose in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss Haruf's use of the flashback. Is it an effective way to learn about the past before the novel's start?

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