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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 do Dave and Asa's mother do when they return home?

2. What book is Asa reading in his room one Saturday morning when Dave walks in unannounced?

3. What sports do Asa and Dave build their relationship on?

4. How does Dave feel about baseball?

5. What is Asa's mother doing on most days when he comes home from school?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the conditions in which Asa does not force his mother to take her medication?

2. What is so unusual about Asa's being in the same school for three years and what has Jean observed about Asa during this time?

3. Why does Asa have to pack his things on the day he tells Jean he loves her?

4. Why does Asa find it impossible to tell Dave that he loves him?

5. What is Asa's mother's psychological condition and what responsibility does Asa have for her on a daily basis?

6. How does the story, "Out" begin and what is the content of the story?

7. How does Asa's mother try to kill herself in one night?

8. How does the author let the reader have some sympathy for Dave as a result of his relationship with Asa's mother?

9. What does Asa's mother tell him about love when he tells her that he is in love with someone?

10. Why does Asa's mother start practicing baseball with Asa and what is she shocked to see when Asa's is shirtless one day?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a brief character study of Asa's mother. What did she look like? What were her positive personality traits? What were her dreams and fears? What was most valuable to her in her world?

Essay Topic 2

The author used more than one iteration on the theme of loss. Identify at least two examples about loss in the book and then explain why the examples support the theme.

Essay Topic 3

Emotional abuse takes on an almost human persona in this book. What were the sources of emotional abuse in the story? What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

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