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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 food was Robertson's poem about?

2. To what town was Lynch's father's body brought?

3. To what fast food restaurant did Lynch refer when talking about non-custodial parents?

4. What style poem did Nugent write?

5. Where did Nugent meet his next wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did the Lynch brothers take care of their father's body rather than allow a local undertaker to do the job?

2. Why did Lynch say some cultural groups (immigrant Irish, Diaspora Jews, African-Americans) actually"enjoy" funerals?

3. How does society generally view cemeteries, according to Lynch?

4. How did Lynch describe the difference between chance and coincidence?

5. How did Lynch feel about constantly taking Nugent's phone calls following the divorce?

6. Why did the priest insist on a simple funeral and burial service and why was Lynch unimpressed?

7. Why did Nugent have several relationships following his divorce and did they help him find love?

8. Why was Henry Nugent unable to get relief from his heartbreak following his divorce?

9. What is the essential difference between burying the old and burying infants?

10. Why did Lynch enjoy not having access to indoor plumbing when he first visited his cousins in Ireland?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In discussing the divorce of his friend, Henry Nugent, Lynch said divorced men in our society are seen as damaged goods. What did he mean by that? In what ways was the divorce easier on Nugent's ex-wife? How does divorce affect the father's relationship with the children? How did Lynch's divorce differ from many other American divorces?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the significance of the rebuilding of the Oak Grove bridge. Why was Mary Jackson so determined to have her funeral procession take the traditional route across the bridge to the cemetery? What sentiments did Lynch express in his poem for the dedication? How is a town affected by its proximity to the dead and its willingness to acknowledge, rather than hide, the dead? How were the older funeral processions (past houses rather than businesses) superior to the ones after the bridge collapsed? Why is it important that the dead be remembered?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the assisted suicide doctor, Jack Kevorkian. Why were so many people willing to allow him to "assist" them in killing themselves? How does Lynch view the notion of providing someone with assistance in suicide? How did the general public react to Kevorkian and why was he not convicted? Is there an absolute value of life or can society reach an agreement about when people may choose to end theirs?

(see the answer keys)

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