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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 did Aunt Willie not buy what Sara wanted from downtown?

2. What causes Charlie to feel shut off from the world around him?

3. What is Mary's last name?

4. What is Sara's aunt's name?

5. Why does Sara not like Wanda talking about Charlie to strangers?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Charlie gets bothered by the rocking chairs on Mary's porch?

2. What does Willie ask Sara to do after Wanda leaves, and why is Sara so upset about this?

3. What does Wanda do after her argument with Sara?

4. What does Sara decide to do after Wanda leaves with Frank?

5. Why is Charlie's foot so sore while he is in the woods?

6. What does Mary say to Sara when Sara is searching for Charlie at the lake?

7. What does Mary ask about Sara's new dress, and what is her response?

8. What does Sara do and say when she sees what is making Charlie so anxious at the beginning of the book?

9. What does Charlie do after Sara talks with him about what he is anxious about at the beginning of the book?

10. What are Sara's first thoughts when she wakes up on the day Charlie is missing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Despair was a theme that was placed in a number of sensitive places in this plot. What are some of these places, and what role did despair play in this book?

Essay Topic 2

What role does symbolism play in the story and where does it appear? How is the plot altered by the presence of these symbols?

Essay Topic 3

The theme of special needs children was central to this plot. How did this theme affect the main characters, and why do you think this was such an important theme for the author to present with this book.

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