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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. Who came to tend to Clay and Henry's wounds in "Peter Pan"?

2. Where did Carey grow up?

3. What part of Matthew did his parents love the most after he was born?

4. What was written on the envelope that Michael sent Clay away with in "The Photo"?

5. Where was Penelope's body found?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Henry beaten up when he arrives home after Clay's return in Part 5?

2. What does the clothing peg carried by Clay represent?

3. How did Tommy come to own Achilles?

4. What is the framing device that is used in the novel?

5. Why did Clay begin disappearing after Penelope's death? What did Matthew do about it?

6. What is the significance of the cigarette pack in the piano?

7. Who is Jimmy Hartnell and what role does he play in the novel?

8. How does Clay learn about Carey's death? What does he do?

9. What does Michael give Clay to take to Carey in Part 6?

10. How did Carey ultimately begin training as a jockey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the symbolism of the piano in Bridge of Clay. Who bought the piano? What aspects of the piano in its present form are important? What does the piano represent to the characters in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolism of the bridge in Bridge of Clay. What does the bridge represent to the characters in the story? What does it represent to you as a reader? What themes are evoked through this symbolism?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of guilt, self-blame, and loss in Bridge of Clay. How are these themes developed through the novel's characters? Who struggles the most with guilt and self-blame? Why?

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