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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. With what ritual do the boys in town associate Farquar?

2. What hovers before Palmer's eyes before he runs after his friends to the playground?

3. For the gang, what makes a birthday official?

4. With whom does Palmer attend his second pigeon shoot?

5. What does Palmer get for Christmas from his parents?

Short Essay Questions

1. For his birthday, Palmer gets an old apple core, an old sock, and a cigar butt from his new friends. What makes these gifts special? How does Palmer react to his mother's gifts?

2. Palmer begins to identify a certain smell associated with the pigeon shoot. Describe the smell and how it injects itself into Palmer's life.

3. How do Palmer's parents react to The Treatment?

4. What is The Treatment? What does it mean to Palmer to receive The Treatment? What does Palmer get after getting through The Treatment?

5. Palmer waits for Nipper to return in Chapter 22 and by nightfall Nipper has not done so. How does Palmer react to the pigeon's disappearance? How does his mood change when Nipper returns? What important decision does Palmer make when Nipper returns?

6. Palmer comes home after the boys see a pigeon flying overhead and he cries. Why is he crying? What does he admit about his day?

7. What are some of Palmer's memories of his first pigeon shoot? What does this tell us about Palmer?

8. In Chapter Three, Palmer joins his new friends out on the street. When Beans asks about Dorothy, Palmer does not answer at first. How does Palmer initially react to the gang's behavior toward Dorothy? Why does he join them as they run down the street after their prank?

9. When the gang attacks Dorothy with snow balls on the first day of school, Palmer joins in without hesitation. How does he rationalize his behavior toward her?

10. How does Palmer come up with the name for his pigeon? What do people feel about animals when they name them? How does Palmer feel about his pigeon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dorothy is a main character running throughout the book. Discuss Palmer's different feelings about and reactions toward Dorothy and how they change throughout the story. How does he ultimately feel about their friendship?

Essay Topic 2

When Palmer and the gang go to the railroad station in the middle of the night to see the five thousand caged pigeons for the shoot, Palmer is faced once again with a conflict of emotions. Describe the conflict in Palmer's mind and how he deals with it.

Essay Topic 3

When Dorothy says to Palmer "why are you doing this to me?" what does she mean? Why does she say this to Palmer? How does Palmer feel about what Dorothy says and about his behavior?

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