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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 hid under a blanket when they wanted to shut out the world?

2. What seemed to be just below the surface of this family's relationship?

3. Who spent time in jail?

4. What happened to Ansel?

5. Who are having an adulterous affair in the play?

Short Essay Questions

1. What explanation does Halie for spending time with Father Dewis?

2. Why does Halie resent the Catholics?

3. What's one indication that Tilden is not his self and disturbed?

4. What is Halie's way of showing her apparent concern for Dodge?

5. What proves that Halie is far from a care taking wife?

6. Where is Tilden prohibited from going to?

7. What is Bradley like at the start of the play?

8. In the first act, where are the characters?

9. What might be Bradley's reasons for being so mean?

10. Who is the first character to appear in Act 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tilden's wife, or Vince's mother was never mentioned in the story. Who could it have been? Was it possible that Halie was Vince's mother and grandmother? What is the information that can support your answer?

Essay Topic 2

Let us look at the chosen setting for the story - a farm in Illinois. The chaos of the story greatly contrasts with the calm supposedly offered by a farm. Could a different setting have affected the story? Choose another setting and compare the impact with the farm setting.

Essay Topic 3

Halie and Tilden had an incestuous affair that led to the birth of a baby boy, whom Dodge kills and buries in the backyard. Could this incident have triggered all the dysfunction in the family? Or was it already present from the beginning?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 471 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample