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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. In Chapter 1, why doesn't the boy's mother want him to cross by the window at the top of the stairs?

2. Why do the boy's father's drinking binges stop between 1920 and 1926?

3. To whom is Larry McLaughlin related?

4. Why does the boy ride home with Sergeant Burke in the police car?

5. What does "The Shan Van Vocht" mean?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Larry McLaughlin?

2. What does the boy's grandfather tell him right before he dies?

3. What local belief surrounds the Field of the Disappeared?

4. How do we see the boy react and respond to his circumstances in Chapter 1 instead of accepting them at face value?

5. Describe the boy's relationship with his mother.

6. What happens to Frances and Francis?

7. Why does the boy throw a rock at Sergeant Burke's police car?

8. Describe the events surrounding the distillery and what happens to it.

9. Describe the narrator.

10. How is the motif of fire used in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the historical context of Northern Ireland affect the story itself? How does it affect the characters and the mystery of Eddie's death? Why is it important to know the historical context to fully understand the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Good vs. evil is an important theme in the novel. Show how three characters made the wrong decision in regards to Eddie's death and explain what they should have done differently.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, the boy encounters and overcomes many difficult situations in order to piece together his family's history and to find out what happened to his uncle. The story is riddled with sadness, death, poor choices, and loss; how can this story be redeemed? Is there any hope in this story? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

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