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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. What did Mrs. Drake do for Jamie in exchange for his doing odd jobs around her house?

2. Where are Jamie and his parents going?

3. Which of the following do Granda Hugh and Gran Margaret NOT know much about?

4. Where did Hugh's wife work after she moved to Glasgow?

5. What seemed to improve Famie's mental health?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author use weather as a literary device to convey mood?

2. Why does Jamie feel the need to protect his mother from his father?

3. What happened that made Famie hate the Irish people?

4. What is life like for Jamie at Granda Hugh and Gran Margie's house?

5. Where is Jamie Bawn going with his parents as Part 1, Chapter 1 begins?

6. What feelings of Granda Hugh's come out regarding Jamie's leaving home years ago?

7. How does Jamie manage to get himself removed from his abusive home?

8. What does Jamie note about his grandfather's buildings as he returns home?

9. Describe Granda Hugh as Jamie sees him for the first time in ten years.

10. Describe Gran Margie as Jamie sees her for the first time in ten years.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the role of the family in OUR FATHERS. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? How typical is this family to most Scottish families living during the late-20th century?

Essay Topic 2

The qualities of pressure and time seem to be almost unnamed characters in the book. How pervasive are they? Why do they have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Granda Hugh and Robert. Both men want influence over Jamie at different points but have their hold on him in very different ways.

Why are their differences classic examples of conflict in literature? What other similarities and dissimilarities are there between the two characters?

(see the answer keys)

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