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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. Henry Dodge say that families function better when they _____________, so he wants the family to try to repair itself.

2. Who does Ginny remember always watching her as she got beat by Larry as a child, even though Ginny screamed?

3. Rose's legacy to her daughters was her __________, her way of looking things, according to Ginny.

4. Ginny remembers giggling with Rose over the phone when Rose was away at __________.

5. Ginny notices that Ty looks like one of the __________ men she's seen over the last few years as she has been around people.

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Ginny decide to swim in order to clear her mind and to get away from others?

2. What did Pete tell Rose the week before when she told him about her affair with Jess?

3. What does Rose let Ginny know in a short note she receives while Ginny is in her new place?

4. Why do Ginny and Caroline go about dividing possessions in the cold as it is late November?

5. What does Rose want Ginny to do for her daughters, Pammy and Linda, that night instead of taking them back with Ginny?

6. What happened to Rose's old home when the farm sale occurred in the springtime?

7. What does Ty discover in the old dairy barn he's converting for the hog operation?

8. How is it shown that Ty is the better farmer of all of his neighbors and their farms?

9. What does Ginny notice about 6 AM the morning after Pete's accident?

10. How does Ginny describe the way she is feeling after the midnight conversation with Rose?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The role of the family in this book is a complicated one, however, that could be said for all families in some respect.

Part 1: How do you think family is defined in this story? What makes up a family?

Part 2: Are there any characters in this story who support a healthy family relationship? Who? Why? If not, why not?

Part 3: Do you think the family could have changed their unhealthy ways? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

At times, it seems the story is being told from the perspective of someone who is a passionate feminist. While there's nothing wrong with this, it does seem to color the descriptions of the other characters.

Part 1: How does Ginny's perspective on women's rights affect the way she tells the story?

Part 2: How might the story have be told had Ginny had a more balanced view of women's vs. men's rights?

Part 3: Is it fair for an author to allow his/her characters to tell a story from a biased standpoint? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Larry is a character that the reader hates from the start, and yet, one cannot help but also feel some pity for him and for his situation.

Part 1: Do you think Larry is an inherently bad person? Why or why not?

Part 2: Had the girls' Mom not died, do you think Larry would have been a different person? Why or why not?

Part 3: Do you think Larry realizes just how awful he has been to his children? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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