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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. Jack Boughton tells John during their meeting in the church, "I wish I could have been like ___________________ ."

2. What incident in Jack Boughton's life does John recount that happened while Jack was still in college?

3. According to John, what does light seem to be a metaphor for?

4. What did Boughton tell John about the trumpet vines covering his house?

5. What did Jack do to the John's front steps?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does John recall Jack's baptism?

2. John writes an extensive contemplation of the Ten Commandments, focusing on the Fifth Commandment. What are some of his thoughts?

3. How does John give Lila instruction prior to her baptism, and what is the nature of this instruction?

4. What is John's point on preaching on Hagar and Ishmael?

5. What does Jack share with John that acts as a prelude to the novel's climax? Share some details about the specifics of Jack's revelation.

6. How does John describe the responsibility that comes from encountering another person?

7. Describe John's birthday.

8. What is the nature of the conversation John and Boughton have while Lila, their son, and Glory have gone to the movies?

9. How does John recall Boughton's parents?

10. What does John recall about how his grandfather was invited to speak at a town picnic?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare John's relationship to his son to the relationship John had with his father. Discuss the similarities and differences. Was John sorry for the way he was brought up by his father? Does John have any regrets as to how he is bringing up his own son? Discuss.

Essay Topic 2

In the first section of the book, pages 1 - 8, discuss what expositional elements emerge. Identify and describe the thematic and narrative foundations found in this section and how these themes are carried through the rest of the novel. Select and describe what you think is the central theme of the book.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the book, John's recollections influence his perceptions of the present. Describe three or four incidences of how events in John's past have colored his response to events happening in the present. And, conversely, events happening in the present cause him to reinterpret events of his past. Identify and discuss three or four of these accounts.

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This section contains 855 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample