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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. Where do the boys go when they realize how late they are?

2. Has Gene ever injured himself by jumping from the branch?

3. Who says, "You never waste your time"?

4. What does Finny invite Gene to join him in?

5. Who chastises Gene for his summer forbidden activities?

Short Essay Questions

1. Compare and contrast Brinker and Leper.

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

3. Describe the opening scene of Devon when the Fall Session convenes.

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

5. What does Finny decide to do in celebration of the first Allied bombing of Central Europe?

6. What does Gene do one night that leads him to conclude he "will never stumble through the confusions of [his] own character again?"

7. Who does Gene describe the tree when he was younger and standing in front of it with other boys?

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

9. What position has Gene volunteered for?

10. What does Gene think is the true reason behind hearing that Leper might be jumping from the branch?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Competition seems to be another large theme in this book, with the boys competing with each other for anything and everything they can.

Part 1: List three specific competitions the boys engage in.

Part 2: What does the competitive nature of Gene and Finny say about their friendship?

Part 3: Why do you think the author made Gene the one that excels in academics while Finny excels in sports?

Essay Topic 2

The tree by the river is the site of many victories and one foreboding accident. Juxtaposing nature with tragedy seems to cause the reader to react more strongly than they might have had the accident occurred in another setting.

Part 1: What might the symbolism of the tree mean in the story? What might the tree represent to the characters and to the plot?

Part 2: Describe the victories that occur at the place of the tree.

Part 3: How does the tree affect each of the main characters in this novel?

Essay Topic 3

The theme of jealousy is one that comes up often in the story itself. Longing for something that someone else has is natural, but it can have tragic consequences.

Part 1: Describe the jealousy that Gene and Finny feel.

Part 2: What does the jealousy of these two characters seem to cause for them and for their lives?

Part 3: What other ways is jealousy shown to affect the other characters in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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