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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 does Mel attend seminary?

2. For what organization does Mel work?

3. What caused Noni's parents to conceive her?

4. What does Mel now consider his feelings of love for another man?

5. In what capacity does Mel serve in his high school?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mel describe his grandmother Noni as far as religion is concerned?

2. How does Lyla become a Christian?

3. From where does Mel say his self hatred arose?

4. What do White and Lyla do when they return from their honeymoon?

5. What does Mel say about whom he might blame for his homosexuality and his feeling miserable as an adolescent?

6. Whom does Mel consider himself a child of as far as religion is concerned?

7. What is Mel's memories of a boy named Darrel at camp?

8. Who is Jeffrey S. and what is his story?

9. What happens to White's career in the 1970s?

10. What does Mel write about Johnny B.?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. Do you believe Mel White was hypocritical in continuing to earn a living working for the religious right after he began to realize that he was probably homosexual? Discuss fully with examples from the text.

2. Why do you think Jerry Falwell refused to answer Mel White's letter requesting a discussion with White about homosexuality and the Christian church? Do you think Falwell handled this situation justly? Discuss fully with examples from the text.

3. Discuss the situation when Mel White decides to travel to Acapulco, Mexico to work with Billy Graham instead of traveling to Chicago to live with Tom Montgomery. What does this situation say about White? About Montgomery?

Essay Topic 2

Stranger at the Gate is a memoir by Mel White. Discuss the following:

1. Define the word "genre" in the context of literary criticism.

2. Why do you think literature is categorized by genre?

3. Does it help to know how a book is categorized as to its genre before reading it? Explain.

4. Memoir used to be considered inferior to what are considered "the classics." Why do you think this is so? Do you believe a book such as Stranger at the Gate is inferior to something such as A Tale of Two Cities? Explain.

5. What is your favorite genre and why?

Essay Topic 3

Stranger at the Gate ends on a happy note. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think many (most?) people want what they perceive as a happy or good ending to a novel? Explain your opinion. Do you? Why or why? not?

2. What are at least three reasons to read non-fiction? Discuss each one in light of Stranger at the Gate and if it fulfills some or all of the reasons you mention. Give examples as to why Stranger at the Gate is or is not successful in fulfilling the reasons you discuss.

3. Do you think reading solely for entertainment is as good a reason to read as any other? Why or why not? Can any work of fiction or non-fiction, no matter how poorly written, enlighten, teach, stimulate thought? Why or why not?

4. Would you have wished the ending to be different? Why or why not? Would that ending have changed what the author wished to convey with the book?

(see the answer keys)

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