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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 is Oedipus?

2. Why does baby bird never return home at the end of "Soaring"?

3. In "The Failure of Syntax", what does Edwin H. Friedman claim communication does not depend on?

4. What are the birds in "Soaring" looking forward to?

5. What does the author suggest is the issue with communicating at the start of Part 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the end of "Soaring".

2. What is the common moral in "An American Holly" and "The Power of Belief"?

3. What does Faust argue is the best way for humans to find truth?

4. How does the main character of "The Power of Belief" demonstrate the title?

5. How does the doctor try to break the man's belief in "The Power of Belief"? What is the result of the attempt?

6. How is John treated by others in "Nervous Condition" and why?

7. What finally convinces baby bird to leave the nest?

8. How does the man's attitude in "An American Holly" change from beginning to end?

9. What is the conclusion of the report in "Raising Cain: A Case History of the First Family"?

10. What is Edwin H. Friedman's relationship to his characters?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role do animals play in the author's stories? Define anthropomorphism and choose two stories where this is used. Why does the author choose to use animals as characters?

Essay Topic 2

What is the magic ring? This is the only reference to magic in Edwin Friedman's stories. What might this example of magic say about Friedman's beliefs on magic?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the character of Ms. Muffet. Why is perfection so important to her and how does it lead to her demise? What is the moral of her story and how is her demise related to the moral?

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