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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. The author uses the prologue to do which of the following?

2. How does Miller make up for not having a father to give him information?

3. What happens to elephant's behavior when they reach puberty?

4. What does Miller ask God to do?

5. What does the landlord's son, who attempts to fill in as a father figure on a camping trip, forget?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 4, Miller begins to understand the importance of a relationship with God as a "father figure." What does he learn?

2. How does Miller get to Boring, Oregon?

3. In Chapter 6, Authority, Miller uses a metaphor of airline pilots warning each other about weather conditions. What point is Miller illustrating with this story?

4. In Chapter 2, Miller again tells stories that span his life. What is the effect of this storytelling approach on the reader?

5. Miller's mother attempts to find father figures for her son in several places. Describe Miller's mother's efforts. How successful were these efforts?

6. In Chapter 5, Spirituality, Miller uses two paradoxes (contradictory statements or actions) to describes his relationship with God? What are they?

7. The author introduces the concept of a spiritual journey in Chapter 4. Describe Miller's reaction to this spiritual journey.

8. In Chapter 6, Miller's tone changes. He also more exclusively addresses his intended audience. How does his tone change and what positive and negative effect can these changes have on the reader?

9. What kind of experience did writing this book provide the author?

10. Miller suggests that as a child he was attracted to stories about dwarfs and dragons. In particular, he wanted to own and ride a dragon. He believes that the dragon took on the role of a father figure. What characteristics of the dragon do you believe remind him of a father figure?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 11, the author addresses integrity. He does not define integrity. Instead, he gives examples of integrity and provides stories about how he learned about integrity. Define integrity as Miller uses it in the context of this book. Compare and contrast Miller's concept of integrity with your understanding of integrity. How are they similar? Different? What is missing, if anything, in Miller's definition? What would you add or change about his definition? Why or Why not?

Essay Topic 2

Miller's writes personally and passionately about the negative impact on boys' lives that are raised without a father. However, females raised without a father figure also experience significant negative impacts. Compare and contract the impact of the lack of a father figure on females in today's society.

Essay Topic 3

You have finished the book. Evaluate the author's ability to present his message, effectively or not, to the reader. What techniques does the author use to present his message and himself? What are the strengths of this method of memoir writing? What are the limitations of this approach to memoir writing? Does the author have biases in the book? What worked for you as you read this book? What did not? Use examples from the book to support your opinion.

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