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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 the narrator say Mendy is now obsessed with?

2. What is the narrator especially fascinated by in regard to his ability to remember his childhood?

3. What kind of monks does Merry watch on television as a child?

4. What does the narrator tell Jerry that the nostalgia of the reunion is least likely to present to explain why he came?

5. What is the first war Merry become militant about?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the nature of Nathan's conversation with Ira at the high school reunion?

2. What does Merry begin doing in New York as a teenager?

3. What does one doctor say about Merry's stuttering in regard to her perfectionist family?

4. What does the narrator say about the neighborhood's reason for idolizing Swede?

5. What reason does Nathan give Jerry for coming to the reunion?

6. What is the nature of Nathan's reminiscence about "The Kid from Tomkinsville"?

7. How does Swede describe glove making to the narrator in Chapter 1?

8. Swede reads about bombs over five years after Rita's visit that remind him of Merry. How are they described?

9. What is Nathan fascinated with in regard to his childhood culture?

10. How does the narrator describe the lack of a generation gap in his neighborhood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the book, one of the things given a great deal of detail is the author's portrayal of America.

Part 1) How does Swede's love of America reflect the sentiments of his neighborhood growing up?

Part 2) What do Merry's political beliefs as a young woman say about her feelings towards America?

Part 3) Does the author paint a favorable picture of America?

Essay Topic 2

The story of Swede offers a unique and heartbreaking look into the life of an apparent American hero.

Part 1) What impact might Swede's upbringing and success as an athlete have on the way his life played out?

Part 2) What impact did Dawn's vanity and infidelity have on Swede's plight?

Part 3) What is telling of Swede based on his wanting to have a tribute to his father written by the narrator?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characters Dawn and Merry. What does Dawn's insistence on making Merry her mirror image say about the struggles within these two characters

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