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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 comes onto the elevator in Chapter Six?

2. What does the word “dad” feel like to Will in Chapter Five?

3. What happens at the end of the scene Uncle Mark and Will are saying in Chapter Four?

4. Why did no one mess with Buck as said in Chapter Six?

5. What does the man who gets onto the elevator in Chapter Four call Will?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Frick justify his killing Buck in Chapter Six? How do the other men in the elevator respond?

2. According to Chapter Six, why was Shawn upset as he tells to Buck? What does Buck do to comfort him?

3. How does Uncle Mark’s selling escalate as described in Chapter Four? How does his selling end and why?

4. Who gets on the elevator in Chapter Five? What do the new person and Will do? How does Will feel?

5. What does Uncle Mark ask Will after Will finishes the scene in Chapter Four? What does Uncle Mark say in reply to Will’s response?

6. Who is Frick as said in Chapter Six? How is Frick described?

7. How is Buck two-sided, as said in Chapter Six? What do people in the neighborhood say about him?

8. What is the script of the film Uncle Mark wants to make as described by Jessie in Chapter Four?

9. What does Will feel like telling his dad in Chapter Five? Why does he keep it inside?

10. What are the stories Shawn had told Will about their dad in Chapter Five? What does Will remember about these stories?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Will's mother has eczema, and scratches at herself to soothe the itch.Will in the first Chapter wonders if everyone is being eaten alive by something invisible, like her eczema (26). What does he mean by this? How is this idea shown or expanded later in the novel? Why is it continually used? Use at least three textual examples to explore this topic.

Essay Topic 2

The Rules are the center of the novel's events, driving Will's actions as well as the actions of generations before him. Will says repeatedly, "The Rules are the rules," implying that they can not be changed. Why is this the case? Why has Will, and others, accepted The Rules so readily? What have The Rules done for the community? And finally, does the novel show that The Rules are The Rules, or does it show something different? Use four textual examples to support your paper.

Essay Topic 3

Think about the ending of the “The Scene” in Chapter Four where Will says he shoots after some reluctance. Consider how many generations are represented repeating a similar pattern of revenge. Why does Will not want to shoot? Does Will have free will to choose to shoot or not shoot? Why or why not? Argue why or why he does not have free will and connect this to the ending of the novel. What does the ending suggest about free will?

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