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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. Who went with Bogus to the country?

2. What does Tulpen offer Bogus when she thinks he is upset?

3. To which creature in the aquarium does Bogus relate?

4. What is Bogus's father's career?

5. When Biggie convinced Bogus to call his father, who did Dr. Trumper think was calling him?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the dictionary symbolize Bogus's work ethic in life?

2. Explain what Bogus thinks disappeared with Merrill and how the two are related.

3. How did Biggie's letters differ, and which did she send?

4. What makes Tulpen change her mind about her offer at the end of Chapter 12?

5. How did Biggie and Bogus's first night together differ from their daily life after marriage?

6. Explain the reasoning behind Mr. Fitch's contempt for "war-built" items.

7. How do Biggie and Tulpen differ in their reactions to Akthelt and Gunnel?

8. Describe the connection Bogus shares with Couth and why this is a strange basis for a friendship.

9. When Bogus promised to take care of a small matter in the home, Biggie seemed genuinely surprised that he could and would handle it. Why was Biggie's astonishment painful to Bogus?

10. Describe the irony between Bogus's medical issues and his father's career.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Trumper and Couth are the same age, but Couth obviously plays the father figure in the relationship. What events or relationships in each boy's life led them to these roles in their friendship? Support your ideas with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

How does the Water-Method man relate to or express the conflict of society during the time the novel was written? Cite at least three examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Focusing on the theme of generational conflict, analyze the ties between Mr. Trumper, Bogus, and Colm. How does Bogus's sexual past enter into his relationship with Mr. Trumper? Further down the family tree, how does that relationship help or hinder the relationship between Bogus and Colm?

(see the answer keys)

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