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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How often does Mrs. Armstrong call the narrator's mother from her hospital bed?
(a) Twice a week.
(b) Every day.
(c) Five times a day.
(d) Every other day.

2. In the pageant incarnation described at the center of the narrative, who plays the role of Mary?
(a) Gladys.
(b) Alice.
(c) The narrator.
(d) Imogene.

3. What is NOT an act included on the pad of paper that lists the bad actions of the Herdman siblings during rehearsals?
(a) They smoke cigars in the bathroom.
(b) They steal crayons from the Sunday School cupboards.
(c) They drink communion wine.
(d) They steal Bibles.

4. What does Imogene NOT threaten to do to Alice if Alice tries to play the part of Mary?
(a) To draw pictures all over Alice's homework.
(b) To hit Alice in the head.
(c) To put worms in Alice's coat pocket.
(d) To get Alice thrown out of school.

5. What is Alice's reply when Mother asks her the reason for her behavior during the choosing of parts?
(a) She says that she does not know.
(b) She says that she has stage fright.
(c) She says that her mother had wanted her to make a change.
(d) She says that Gladys had threatened her with violence.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Alice do with the information she has about the Herdman siblings' involvement with the fire department being called to the church?

2. When the narrator describes how many people in town end up attending the pageant overall, for what purpose does she say those people attend?

3. The narrator states that "the Herdmans started out mean, right from" (59) what?

4. What does the narrator say about the Herdmans' attendance at the pageant rehearsals?

5. What is Mother's reply when she is asked what the Angel of the Lord is supposed to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What behaviors of the Herdman siblings indicate their keen interest in the subject of the Christmas story?

2. In what ways does the author depict Father as a funny man?

3. What evidence does the author provide for the conclusion that having the first meeting about the pageant after church is a poor decision?

4. Discuss the significance of Mother's comment when she states to Father, "No, their chief instinct was to get Mary and the baby out of the barn. But even so, it was Herod they wanted to do away with, and Mary or Joseph. They picked out the right villain -- that must mean something" (50).

5. For what reasons does the pageant not have a real baby to play Jesus?

6. Discuss the significance of Mrs. Armstrong's comment to Mother when she says, "And then I always remind them that there are no small parts, only small actors" (25).

7. How is irony used within the depiction of the cigar-smoking incident in the church restroom?

8. Discuss how the theme of appearance versus reality appears in Chapter Five.

9. What questions are raised in the narrator's mind about the Nativity story as a result of her interactions with the Herdmans?

10. Discuss how Mother's character is depicted as having unending supplies of patience and compassion.

(see the answer keys)

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