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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. Who talks Ruth out of seeing Rocky again?

2. Who does James take his mother to see in this chapter?

3. What does Rocky send Ruth?

4. What state is Andrew originally from?

5. Who does Ruth say she missed in this chapter?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the blood sacrifice of a chicken.

2. How is Ruth's life getting better at the age of sixty five?

3. Why do Ruth's parents refuse to get a divorce?

4. How does Andrew help Ruth get over her mother's death?

5. What does James later learn about his mother's driving skills?

6. Summarize the book.

7. Describe the character of Andrew.

8. What problems do Ruth and Andrew have getting married?

9. Why does Ruth go back to Virginia in Chapter 19?

10. Why does Ruth struggle to find a place she wants to be buried?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss differences between the novel and autobiography formats. What are the main elements of a novel? What are the main elements of an autobiography? What can novelists express that an autobiographer cannot? How can autobiographies keep to the facts while still maintaining a level of entertainment?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss with the students first person point of view. Why do the students think first person point of view is not necessarily reliable? What moments in the book do the students think are not so reliable and why? With the students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the first person.

Essay Topic 3

Why do the students think it is important for James to find out about his mother's past? How has his mother hiding her past affected him?

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