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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. Sandra’s husband is in Louisville working where in “Offerings”?

2. What is Carolyn’s last name in “Drawing Names”?

3. What did Sandra’s grandfather die from in “Offerings”?

4. What kind of store does the narrator of “Offerings” say Joe Stamper owned and ran?

5. Kent is planning to drive over for Christmas dinner from where by noon in “Drawing Names”?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where is Louise Milsap’s husband in the beginning of “Still Life with Watermelon”? Why is he there?

2. How does the narrator describe the final years of Sandra’s paternal grandfather in “Offerings”?

3. What are Cleo’s thoughts on Shirley in “Old Things”?

4. How is Petey’s character described in “The Climber”?

5. How is Peggy Wilson described in “Still Life with Watermelon”? What is her relationship to Louise Milsap?

6. Why is the tree being removed in “The Climber”?

7. How is Mabel characterized in “Shiloh”? What is Norma Jean’s relationship with Mabel like?

8. What happens when Louise goes to meet with Mr. Priddle in “Still Life with Watermelon”?

9. What are the central themes in the stories of Bobbie Ann Mason’s anthology?

10. How is the character of Peggy described in “Drawing Names”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of communication in “The Rookers” and Mack’s phone calls to the weather service in the story. What do these calls indicate in regards to Mack’s ability to communicate with his family?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of identity, transition, and communication in “Offerings.” How does the author depict the communication between Sandra, her mother, and her grandmother in the story? What do each of these characters represent symbolically related to the theme of transition?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the setting of “Offerings.” What imagery does the author employ in her descriptions of this setting? How does this setting relate to the settings seen in “Shiloh,” “The Rookers,” and “Detroit Skyline, 1949”?

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