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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 Palmer feed the pigeon?

2. What does Palmer hear in his dream on the night of his birthday?

3. What does Beans have in the frozen spaghetti and meatballs container in his freezer?

4. What does Palmer try to convince the gang about the pigeon?

5. What story do people tell about Arthur at the pigeon shoot one summer before he is a wringer?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 25, Palmer has a wonderful day in which he is relaxed and happy. The day dissolves into emotional distress. What happens to make Palmer nervous and upset? What two parts of Palmer's personality come into conflict?

2. When the boys find Farquar, he is on the soccer field and all but Palmer rush over to see him. Why does Palmer lag behind? What is he experiencing walking onto the field?

3. What scene do Mutto, Beans and Henry enact at the park? How does Palmer react to their display? Why does he react this way?

4. How does Palmer resolve his problems of meeting his friends at the cannon on the day of the pigeon shoot? Why? What do we learn about Palmer?

5. 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?

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

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

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 Palmer opens the door on his birthday and finds Beans, Mutto and Henry there, he is elated. Why? Who are these boys? What do they represent in Palmer's life?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When talking to Palmer about Nipper, Dorothy asks "why don't they just let him alone? What did he ever do to them?" Palmer's response is a powerful moment in the novel. What does Palmer say to Dorothy? Discuss the implications of his statement.

Essay Topic 2

Compare Palmer's ninth birthday party and that of his tenth. What things are similar? What things are different? Does Palmer seem more or less mature on his tenth birthday? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Palmer's relationship with Dorothy and his relationship with the gang. How do the two (Dorothy and the gang) help Palmer to feel important? How do the two bring out the different sides of Palmer?

(see the answer keys)

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