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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 the name of the Avenger’s mother in the novel?

2. How old is Buddy’s little sister in Part One?

3. Where does Jane recall her father having been transferred from when they relocated to this town in Part One?

4. On what holiday does the narrator describe the home invasion taking place in the beginning of Part One?

5. How does the narrator describe Buddy’s mother in Part One?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the narrative transitions to Buddy’s perspective during the break-in, what does Buddy find when he returns downstairs in the Jerome home?

2. How and why does the Avenger go about killing Vaughn Masterson?

3. How does the Avenger cover up the murder of Vaughn Masterson?

4. Describe the character of Buddy Walker in Part One. What makes Buddy a “likeable” character in the novel?

5. How is Vaughn Masterson’s death described in the newspapers?

6. How does the author effectively draw the reader into the story in Part One?

7. At what time do the home invaders depart the Jerome home in the beginning of Part One? What damage is left in their wake?

8. What information does Mr. Jerome relate to the police detective after the vandalism in Part One?

9. How does the narrator describe Jane’s school friends in Part One? What color unites these girls?

10. When, precisely, do the vandals break into the Jerome home in the beginning of Part One? Who encounters them as they are vandalizing the house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the triggers leading up to Buddy’s drinking problem in the narrative. When is the first occurrence that Buddy got drunk? How did it make him feel? Who encouraged Buddy’s drinking?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the theme of family in the novel. Compare the families of Jane, Buddy, and Harry Flowers. How do these families differ? How are they similar? Which family in the story has the best connection and ability to communicate?

Essay Topic 3

Motivations for Violence

a. Discuss the motivations or objectives of the boys who vandalize the Jerome household. What compels the boys to this act of violence and vandalism?

b. Discuss the Avenger’s motivations in the novel. Why does the Avenger seek out the boys who trashed the Jerome house? How do the Avenger’s motivations change in the course of the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 865 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample