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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. How does Jamie's mother feel after meeting with Jamie again?

2. What does Granda ask Jamie to do for him?

3. What type of flowers does Gran leave on Granda's grave?

4. Where does Jamie's girlfriend live?

5. Which author's poetry does Jamie read?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the priest's eulogy somehow seem to calm Gran Margie?

2. When does Granda Hugh die and how do Gran and Jamie react?

3. What emotional event does Jamie witness regarding Granda Hugh's work?

4. What event precipitates Jamie's contacting his estranged mother?

5. How does Jamie pass the time at his grandparents' home?

6. How does Granda Hugh put up a front regarding his physical state and the work he knows he will never accomplish?

7. Describe Jamie's last personal encounter with Granda Hugh.

8. What is the nature of the drunken journalist's derogatory comments directed at Jamie?

9. What is especially troubling to Jamie about Granda Hugh's story about John MacLean?

10. What is the opinion of Granda Hugh regarding the accusations from those who know him well?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

O'Hagan is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphor, and irony. Briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 2

Not being able to escape the past is an important theme in OUR FATHERS. Can you cite an example to support this theme? Name two other themes of the story and cite examples to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the ongoing conflict between Jamie and his father. What are the main sources of the conflicts? Why does it perpetuate? What does Jamie learn about the reality of his life with his father as opposed to the perceptions he has held for so long?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 997 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample