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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 seems distant and unreal in a time of war?

2. Who loses his balance in this jump?

3. What is the game Finny invents?

4. What is the name of the school the boys attend?

5. Who jumps into the river first?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gene remember as he pauses near the river on his way to an appointment at the Crew House?

2. What happens when Gene and Finny decide to try another double jump from the branch?

3. Why did people jump from the tree to the river in previous years?

4. Who is the narrator of "A Separate Peace"?

5. Who can not believe that the allies bombed Central Europe?

6. What seemed so much larger to Gene, as told by him, when he was younger as opposed to now?

7. What does Gene realize about the rivalry between Finny and himself?

8. What is Finny's mistake that he makes when having tea with the substitute headmaster Mr. Patch-Wilders?

9. What is Gene the only witness to?

10. After Gene leaps from the branch into the water, how does Finny respond?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

It's interesting to note that parents aren't mentioned often in this story - only Brinker's dad and Leper's mother are introduced fully.

Part 1: Describe Brinker's father.

Part 2: Describe Leper's mother.

Part 3: What do these characters seem to say about the differences between the older and the younger generations?

Essay Topic 2

The two rivers in the book provide different elements and symbols to the storytelling.

Part 1: List the names of the two rivers in the novel and describe the location of each.

Part 2: What does each river seem to symbolize for the story?

Part 3: How is Gene comparable to each river?

Essay Topic 3

From the very beginning, we learn that Gene will be the narrator from the story, but as with any narrator, a reader must question whether they can be trusted or not.

Part 1: Do you think Gene is a reliable narrator? Why or why not?

Part 2: In realizing that Gene might not be the most reliable narrator, how does this change your perception of the story and of Gene and Finny?

Part 3: What other character might prove to be a more reliable narrator? Support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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