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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. As a child and adolescent, who does Miller resent?

3. What does Miller read that also helps him to understand importance of a father in a child's fife?

4. Miller uses these stories about animals to illustrate what point in Chapter 2?

5. Miller's mother attempts to find father figures for her son by involving him in which community organization?

Short Essay Questions

1. Miller states that his experience in which he did not get to enter a derby car in the race did not affect him. Do you agree? Why or why not?

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

3. In Chapter 5, Miller begins to identify the positive and negative characteristics of God's love. What are these characteristics?

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

5. How does Miller meet John MacMurray and what roles do John MacMurray and his family play in Miller's life?

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

7. In Chapters 5 and 6, Miller makes a connection between authority and love. Describe this connection.

8. In Chapter 3, Miller admits to being resentful towards authority figures. To whom is he referring and why?

9. The author's writing style should appeal to whom?

10. Chapter 5 is considered the "climax" of this book. What does this mean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Miller's mother dies without telling him who his father is. There are many reasons why women would chose not to tell their children about how they were conceived or who their fathers were. Identify and discuss the reasons Miller's mother may have decided not to tell him who his father is. Discuss potential impact each reason may have had on Miller.

Essay Topic 2

Miller's writes this memoir about his life as a child raised without a father and the impact this had on his life. However, the role the rest of his family plays in his life is minimally addressed in this book. He refers occasionally to other family members. What do you know about his family when you finish this book? Who does he identify? How does he describe them? What do you believe Miller wants you to believe about his family members? What do you know about his relationship with the family that he does discuss? What techniques does he use to present his family to the reader? Do these techniques work? What do you wish you knew about his family? How would knowing this effect your reaction to this book?

Essay Topic 3

This book is a written in memoir format not as an autobiography. What are the differences between the two? If this book had been written as an autobiography how would it have been written differently? What, if any, impact would writing this book as a autobiography have on the intended audience, the message, the reader, etc.?

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