View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. At what meal does Claire first realize that every other worker is taking a pill besides her?

2. For what reason does Claire decide not to try to take her son out of the Nurturing Center during her second visit?

3. In the recurring dreams Claire has in which she is hiding her son, where does she keep him hidden?

4. When Jonas is skipped during the Twelves's part of the ceremony, the Chief Elder announces that Jonas is not being assigned, but is instead being what?

5. What reason does Sophia give Claire for the Nurturing Center staff not wearing nametags?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jeanette, one of the Fish Hatchery workers, feel surprise when the name Paul is given to one of the Newchildren at the Ceremony?

2. What is the consequence of Claire's Task being different from those of the other Birthmothers?

3. What reason does the narrator give for all of the Fish Hatchery workers being fond of the director, Dimitri?

4. What is Dimitri's explanation for why the community no longer has mammals?

5. How is the event of Claire's first encounter with her son portrayed by the author?

6. How do the Nurturers respond to Claire's query asking if it would be alright if she visited the Nurturing Center again?

7. How does Claire feel about the river that borders the community?

8. How is the boat's cook Marie described by the narrator?

9. What sets the birth of Claire's Product apart from those of the other Birthmothers in her dormitory?

10. When Claire declares that she hates her life, what aspects of her life does she say she despises?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the two maternal characters within the narrative: Alys of the village and Claire's female parental unit of the community. What is the author's message regarding motherhood?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the author's message regarding perseverance within the novel Son.

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes in Western culture, volunteerism is looked at in terms of only helping those in need, but Lois Lowry's novel Son seems to put forth the proposition that service to others can also be a means to the provider's own personal happiness. Find examples within the novel Son that prove this conclusion regarding the author's message about service to others and discuss the message's overall effect on the reader.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,126 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample