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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. Why were Lucy and Benjamin in a hurry to get married?

2. To what ailment does Russell's mother succumb?

3. During a high school debate in 1913, what does Lucy argue in favor of?

4. What skill does Russell envy in Frankie?

5. What superstitions does Ida Rebecca believe, but Lucy Elizabeth does not?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the reasons Ida Rebecca dislikes Lucy Elizabeth?

2. Where has Russell and his family gone to celebrate the hog-butchering season?

3. When does Russell decide to become a writer?

4. What ghost did Ida Rebecca once claim to see?

5. What has happened to Russell's mother?

6. How does Lucy Elizabeth meet Benjamin?

7. How does Lucy punish Russell when he misbehaves?

8. What remedy does Aunt Pat insist is good for the children, but they find disgusting?

9. What is "powwowing"?

10. How does the author describe his mother's attitude toward men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel has a huge list of characters. Choose four characters and write about how they influence Russell's life, worldview, personality, etc. Each character should have at least one full paragraph devoted to them. If you use quotations from the text be sure to cite your sources.

Essay Topic 2

Part of growing up is testing boundaries. How does Russell begin to test his boundaries with Lucy? How old is he? How old is she? Even as a child, how much does Russell understand about being punished by Lucy? Why does she decide to punish him in such a way? Who is more upset by Russell's punishments--Russell or Lucy? Why does Russell refuse to cry? Use these leading questions to create a profile of young Russell, battling against Lucy's determination that he will make something of himself.

Essay Topic 3

In the work, Russell states that talk was the pastime of the Depression. How is this illustrated in the novel? What memories does Russell have of those times? Does Russell realize that the family is poor, or is he completely oblivious? How does the home in Belleville with Aunt Pat, Uncle Allen, etc. illustrate this point?

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This section contains 675 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample