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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 didn't John lease the Goodnough land?

2. What was the name of the bridge that marked where Sandy, Mavis, Edith, and Lyman got into a car accident?

3. In what year did Mavis get pregnant for the first time?

4. How did Sandy raise money for Twyla?

5. What did Lyman say he missed most while he was away?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What was Sandy's educational standing at the end of his fourth year of college?

3. After John's death, what did Sandy and Leona argue about?

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

5. After Roy's death, what did Edith decorate her house with?

6. What 'joke' did Twyla tell Clevis and Sandy one night after a party?

7. In spite of his objections, what did Sandy do for his mother when she decided to remarry?

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

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

10. What worried Sandy about Mavis' first pregnancy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the protagonist of the novel. What is a protagonist? Who is the protagonist of "The Tie That Binds"? What are her defining character traits?

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the relationship between Edith and her father, Roy; what conflicts did they face in their relationship? How did Roy treat Edith and how did she react to his behavior towards her?

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This section contains 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample