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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 does Jack do after he leaves college?

2. What kind of behavior does Wanda Jo exhibit after she hears the news about Jack?

3. What is the sheriff doing when he gets a call about Jack Burdette?

4. What is the profession of the father of the girl in #68?

5. In what year does the story take place?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Jack's moving out of his mother's house indicate about his personality?

2. How does the sheriff treat Jack when he finds him?

3. What does Jack's marriage to Jessie indicate to Wanda Jo?

4. What is the purpose of Jack's trip to Tulsa?

5. How was Jack's father killed?

6. What does Ralph Bird do when he spots Jack back in Holt?

7. Why was Jack expelled from college and where did he go after leaving school?

8. Why did Jack move out of his mother's house after his father died?

9. What is the setting for the novel?

10. What happens that gives Wanda Jo a glimmer of hope regarding a life with Jack?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses more than one iteration on the motif of disappointment. Identify at least two characters who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Survival seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of survival? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 3

Does Haruf end the story on a note of hope for the characters, or will they continue to struggle with their relationships and hopes for their lives? Give your perspective and two reasons to support your answer.

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This section contains 798 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample