View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. From what event is Nick returning home?

2. What does the author also tell the reader about the book?

3. Who has left the town in this story?

4. What upsetting information does Nick's father tell Nick?

5. Who tends the counter at the restaurant?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Nick and his friends pass some Indians on their way home on the Fourth of July?

2. How does Nick show sensitivity when interacting with the large prostitute, Alice?

3. What are Nick's thoughts on writing about anything real?

4. What is the premise of this story?

5. What happened to the Indians, some of whom at one time were considered successful in the area?

6. What does Nick recall about being scared when camping with his father and uncle one time?

7. What is Nick doing as the story begins and who does he meet?

8. How do Nick's uncle and father react when Nick summons them to return to camp?

9. How is Nick's demeanor in this story uncharacteristic of his usual calm manner?

10. What news does Nick's father give him when he returns home and how does Nick react?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

War is a recurring theme in some of the Stories in the book. How are killing and war perceived by the young men when it seems like sport at first? How do the perceptions change when they are seriously wounded, as Nick is? How do they manage the aftermath of war and the personal toll it takes on them?

Essay Topic 2

Hemingway writes about women giving birth or wanting a child in several of the stories. What is the significance of the birth theme to these stories and in literature in general?

Essay Topic 3

Hemingway gives Nick the ability to see beyond immediate pain and discomfort by putting him in situations that give him hope. Cite some examples where Nick's mood and spirits lift when his hopeful nature takes over.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample