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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. Where is Jessie working?

2. How often is Jessie seen in public with Jack?

3. Whose company does Jessie value most?

4. Why do the townspeople center their anger about the theft on the bookkeeper?

5. How does Charlie attempt suicide?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jessie find out that Jack has returned to town?

2. What purchases does Jack make prior to leaving town for good?

3. Who becomes the target of the townspeople's wrath when they cannot get any justice through Charlie Soames?

4. Why do the townspeople feel cheated of justice, and who do they turn their wrath toward when they cannot take legal action against Charlie Soames?

5. Why does Jack's crime make the people of Holt dislike Jessie even more?

6. After Jack has been gone for awhile, what shocking and public action does Jessie take?

7. What does Doyle Francis discover when he returns to manage the grain elevator in Jack's absence?

8. What does Jack do that shows why he came back to Holt, and what do his actions do to Pat?

9. Does Jack show any remorse when visited by the head of the grain elevator board?

10. What are some of the things Pat does to ingratiate himself with Jessie and her sons?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Jack Burdette and Pat Arbuckle. As young men, both are trying to carve out new lives but seem to have different methods and goals. How are Jack and Pat alike? How are they different? On what things do they agree? What is the thing that threatens to separate them? What other similarities and dissimilarities are there between the two characters?

Essay Topic 2

The author uses the flashback technique to tell the story. Explain what a flashback is and cite at least two examples making sure to explain what makes each an instance of flashback.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two other examples you can identify in the book and note why they are examples of irony.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,017 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample