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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. Why is Kitty being threatened with eviction?

2. What does Ruth write to Mary about in Chapter 2?

3. Who builds a coffin in Chapter 1?

4. What does Lanford give Mary as a token of thirty years of service?

5. What is the name of Lanford's yacht?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are Fort Niles and Courne Haven islands alike?

2. What happens in Chapter 4 when Ruth tells Stan and Angus about the money Lanford gave her?

3. What do Ruth, Cal and Toby talk about while on the New Hope in Chapter 5?

4. What does Cal complain about when he finds Ruth in Chapter 5?

5. Describe Mary's wedding.

6. Describe the funeral in Chapter 1.

7. How do mother and daughter greet one another in Chapter 5?

8. What do Simon and Webster look for at Potter Beach in Chapter 2 and why?

9. Why is Ruth sent to Delaware? How does she feel about this move?

10. Who is Mary? What does the reader learn of Mary's past in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Mary's back story before Ruth's birth. How did she become involved with the Ellis'? What is her role in that family? How does she meet Stan? Why doesn't she return to Fort Haven after the birth of Ricky?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the struggles faced by Ruth throughout the novel. How does she deal with these obstacles and how does she overcome them? What causes these problems for her?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the conclusion of the novel "Stern Men". Are you satisfied with the ending? Why or why not? Is the conclusion a happy one? Are there any unanswered questions? Would you change anything?

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