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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. When Mr. Mautz begins arguing with Reverend Ellerby about what the Reverend advocates from his pulpit, which topic does Mr. Mautz NOT mention?

2. What time is it when Moby appears on Lemry's porch and says that he needs to speak to her "off the record"?

3. According to Ms. Lemry, what is one mistake that schools make in regard to what they ask from the students?

4. What does Moby sneak into Sarah Byrnes' hospital room?

5. According to what Moby tells Ms. Lemry, what does Sarah Byrnes hate more than anything?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Jody, why did she have the abortion alone?

2. How is Moby able to gain access to Sarah Byrnes' room while she is at a group therapy session without arousing suspicion from the nurses?

3. While Ellerby and Moby leave Brittain alone outside of the pool, what do they decide to do at practice to teach Brittain some humility?

4. Why is Sarah Byrnes trying to find her mother?

5. What did Ms. Lemry say to Sarah Byrnes that changed Sarah Byrnes' mind about Ms. Lemry?

6. After hearing what the man waiting for Moby and Ellerby tells them when the two boys are called to the office during their study hall, how does Ellerby respond to the man's words?

7. Why does Sarah Byrnes come back to school even though she knows her father will be looking for her?

8. When Moby and Sarah Byrnes go for a walk, they are watched by her father. How do they communicate since Sarah Byrnes can't be seen talking?

9. How does Ms. Lemry respond when Mark Brittain insists that everything is about Christianity?

10. How does Sarah Byrnes' mother respond when Sarah Byrnes asks her mother to come back and testify against Virgil?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast how the character of Sarah Byrnes changes as the story progresses. Be sure to include your assessment of her character when she is first introduced in the story, when she is caught faking her mental health break, when she searches for her mother, and when she is adopted at the end of the story. Use examples from the story to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

The book is entitled, "Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes." Why did the author choose this title? How does the title foreshadow the events that unfold in the story, the struggles of the main character and the determination of Moby to set things right?

Essay Topic 3

One of the main themes is this novel involves bullying.

a. Identify three characters that are bullies. For each character, describe an instance in which the character bullied someone else.

b. Why do these characters bully others?

c. What is the outcome for these characters? Were they successful in their endeavors or would they have been more successful if they had not tried to bully the other person? Explain your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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