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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 kind of car has Nelson destroyed?

2. What does Nelson call his parents?

3. Whose house do Nelson and Pru live at?

4. What does Webb say does a marriage in?

5. What kind of cigarettes does Webb smoke?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bessie react to Harry and Janice buying their own house?

2. What has happened to Janice's Maverick?

3. What does Charlie say about the business?

4. Why does Harry not talk to the Murketts and the Fosnachts at the wedding reception?

5. Why is Harry thankful that Janice does not talk about Cindy?

6. How does Harry's night with Thelma change him?

7. What does Charlie tell Harry about the situation with Nelson?

8. How does Nelson react to his parents buying their own house?

9. What do Nelson and Brew do at Slim's party?

10. Why does Nelson like Pru?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose two of the following people and outline their influence on Rabbit's life:

1) His basketball coach

2) Ruth

3) Mim

4) Janice

Essay Topic 2

Write a 500-word essay revolving around one of the following statements:

1) John Updike celebrates American middle class life and presents Harry as having no conflict with being part of the middle classes, despite his working class background.

2) Even in middle-age Harry is emotionally immature and refuses to understand his son.

3) Nelson's relationship with Harry is too cliché to have any emotional impact on the reader.

Essay Topic 3

Away from the main character examine the way the author uses the other characters in the book. When does he introduce and take them away from the story? What effect does it have on the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 648 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample