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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. In what year does Horace ask Jimmy Greene, the reverend, for advice on a serious matter that is troubling him?

2. Who is one of Asa's daugthers?

3. What does Zeke ask the waitress about the hogs they use in their food in the section titled Old Demonology?

4. When does Revered Greene meet his wife?

5. What happens to Ruth in the elevator of the nursing home while visiting Asa that sends her into a fit?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Reverend Greene, Zeke, and Ruth on the way back from visiting Asa that adds more tension to their trip?

2. In the section titled Old Demonology, what conclusion does Reverend Greene come to about the pressures Horace faced from his family?

3. How does Reverend Greene know that Ruth and Zeke have more or less made amends from their argument in the section titled Old Demonology?

4. What circumstance brought Horace and Gideon together and eventually sparked their relationship?

5. What does Reverend Greene tell Horace in the section titled Holy Science about the problem Horace confides in him about?

6. What is Horace's family's reaction to seeing his earring at Thanksgiving dinner in the section Old Demonology?

7. What is Zeke known for in the community that serves as a bridge from the past to the future?

8. What does Zeke accuse Ruth of doing to him and the rest of the Cross family in the section titled Old Demonology?

9. Why is Ruth so upset to see Asa Cross, her late husband's cousin, so ill?

10. What is the last thing that Rose says to Reverend Greene, her son?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does the play Ride the Freedom Star reveal about Horace's complicated family history? How is the play perceived by the cast and crew? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 2

What does Gideon Stone represent for Horace, and why does Horace have such a complicated relationship with Gideon at different points in the book? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text.

Essay Topic 3

Kenan chooses to end the book with a brief section titled Requiem for Tobacco. What message do you think Kenan was trying to leave the reader with by closing the novel this way, right after the description of Horace's suicide? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 796 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample