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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 is Jeeter's solution to Lov's problem with Pearl?

2. What is not certain about Grandma Lester's burial?

3. Who is looking at Grandma Lester in Chapter 18?

4. What does Sister Bessie do when Jeeter orders her to leave?

5. What does Jeeter convince Sister Bessie and Dude to do in Chapter 15?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the firewood sales trip not successful?

2. Who dies in the house fire at the Lester farm?

3. Why can Jeeter not plant his fields even though he wants to, and who does he blame for that?

4. How do Jeeter's feelings of jealousy for Dude result in his making Ellie May cry?

5. Does the author provide any hope for the Lester family at the end of the book?

6. Why does Lov decide to take Ellie May home with him now when he had found her so unattractive earlier?

7. What is the nature of the fight that results in a tragic accident involving Grandma Lester?

8. What is the prognosis for the car after it is repaired?

9. In spite of his good intentions, how does Jeeter's lack of diligence create a tragic mistake regarding the fire?

10. What does Lov do when he sees Grandma Lester lying on the ground?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the role of the family in TOBACCO ROAD. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the Lester family disintegrate in its lack of support of each other? How has Jeeter failed as the patriarchal figure in the novel? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of Jeeter Lester. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him--if anything--at this point?

Essay Topic 3

Caldwell uses more than one instance of irony in the story. Cite at least two other examples you can identify in the story and note why they are examples of irony. What is the major irony in the story? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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