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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. How many hours before his death does the narrator in Chapter 1 say George sneaked "into the basement window of the West Cove Methodist Church" and rang the bell on Halloween night?

2. How far is the walk from George's house to the doctor's house in Chapter 2?

3. Who is the doctor that Kathleen plans to take George to after his hand has been bitten in Chapter 2?

4. How many days before he dies does George begin hallucinating?

5. Of Kathleen's strict demeanor, the narrator says in Chapter 2, "She could not live with herself if she allowed herself to believe that she treated her own this way because she felt no more connected to them than she would to" what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator describe George's attempt to make a memoir by cassette tape in Chapter 1?

2. What "odd jobs" of Howard Crosby's are described in Chapter 1?

3. How does the setting change in Chapter 1 when George's family leaves him to prepare lunch?

4. What thoughts does Howard have regarding human perception of one's condition in the end of Chapter 2?

5. What does George think about as he begins his chores on Monday in Chapter 2, Part 1? What does Howard think about?

6. What does George discover in his mother's pamphlet in Chapter 2, Part 2? How does she respond when she finds him reading it?

7. What prompts Howard's decision to leave his family in Chapter 2, Part 2? Is this action a selfish or selfless act?

8. Where does George go when he runs away from home in Chapter 2, Part 2? What does he take with him?

9. When is the only occurrence when George witnesses firsthand one of his father's seizures?

10. What metaphor is illustrated through the descriptions of George's house in Chapter 1, Part 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the contemporary setting of Tinkers. What clues in the narrative indicate the time period in which George lay dying in the hospital bed in his living room? Where does George live with his wife? Where are his family members visiting from?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Gilbert in the novel. Other than Howard, who does Gilbert associate with? Where does Gilbert live? What similarities do Gilbert and Howard Crosby share? How are these characters different? What do you think that Gilbert’s character represents symbolically in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the imagery of the collapsing house in Chapter 1. In what ways does the house represent George’s body as he faces death? What are some specific examples of similes and metaphors that are used in describing the house? Where does George end up when the house collapses around him?

(see the answer keys)

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