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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. Where does Boughton's son come from before visiting his home?

2. How did John get a great reputation for wisdom?

3. What kind of flowers does John's son and wife bring him?

4. What do the old men in John's church call his son?

5. What did John's father give him every time he learned five scripture verses and could repeat them without a mistake?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the story John's father tells him about John Brown's mule?

2. Describe some of the events John and his father faced in their journey to Kansas.

3. What are John's thoughts on the Lord's Supper? How does his son figure into this account?

4. What are John's feelings about baseball, and what incidents contributed to those feelings?

5. Why does John feel that his memories of fleeting incidents are so vivid to him?

6. What was the nature of the meeting John had with the church trustees regarding the church building?

7. What are some of the key aspects of John's life that he recounts to his son?

8. Describe how John learned scripture.

9. How does John describe being "imperishable"?

10. What are some of John's impressions of Tobias and his son?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Christianity and interpretations of the bible play an important role in the book's actions and themes. Discuss whether or not unfamiliarity with the bible is a handicap in understanding Gilead. Consider whether or not this is a "religious" book, and defend your answer. Discuss whether the book would appeal to or be a turn-off to someone with little or no interest in religion, and why.

Essay Topic 2

In the section encompassing pages 86 - 104, an image of communion is presented, as it is throughout the novel. Consider the significance of this ritual outside the walls of a church. Discuss what the implication of this event is, especially in light of the theme of the relationship between fathers and sons outside the realm of religion. Factor in, too, the relationship between John and Jack.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses dialogue as a narrative technique very rarely. Discuss the author's possible reasons for using dialogue in this fashion, and why it is employed in the parts of the story it is.

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This section contains 776 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample