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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. How does Mat describe his relationship with Jack?

2. What does Jack remember about what occurred on the day after the mules arrived?

3. What occurs at the end of Jack memory at the beginning of the book?

4. What time of the week did Jack take off from working?

5. When the novel opens, where is Jack standing?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened when Jack went into the room right after Ruth gave birth to their son?

2. How did Jack end up getting to know the person he noticed during church, and what was their future relationship?

3. How would you best describe Jack's marriage?

4. What was Jack's relationship with Ben Feltner?

5. Why did Jack confront McGrother?

6. What memory does Jack have about a day in church when he noticed someone new?

7. When Mat finds Jack at Jasper Lathrope's store, what is the extent of the conversation Mat has with Jack?

8. What is the summary of Mat Feltner's conversation with with his wife about Jack coming to live with them?

9. What happened between Jack and Will that caused Will to leave?

10. How does Ruth feel about Jack?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Wendell Berry uses symbolism throughout The Memory of Old Jack. There is symbolism in the book title, in the chapter titles, and in the events that Jack remembers. Write an essay that focuses on three specific incidences of symbolism in the novel. Summarize the symbolism elements you have chosen to write about and explain what each element represents.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that compares Clara with Ruth, her mother, and Jack, her father. How is she similar in personality to her parents and how is she different?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that analyzes the title of the novel, The Memory of Old Jack. After finishing the novel, the title of it seems to have more than one meaning. Explain the significance of the title and why the author would have chosen it for the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 842 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample