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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. What does Thomas leave with Sissy before he goes?

2. Son tells Sissy that he and Thomas talked about ______________ while on the back porch.

3. Where is Rose the morning after she receives the letter?

4. Sissy comes home from school one day and sees a girl ________________ in front of St. Elizabeth's.

5. How old is Sissy in this chapter?

Short Essay Questions

1. When did Sissy learn that she was not adopted?

2. How does Son's girlfriend, Cecilia, die, and why does he feel such guilt about it?

3. What does Sissy realize about her mother when they are driving in the car?

4. What does Rose do after the family moves into the farmhouse?

5. What problem does Sissy have now that she is about the same age as the girls coming to St. Elizabeth's?

6. How do Sissy and Son meet Thomas Clinton, Sissy's biological father?

7. What is the reason that Rose stays so distant from Sissy?

8. What circumstances prompt Rose's abrupt departure?

9. How does Son's injury make Sissy even more resentful of her mother's distant behavior?

10. What does Son keep the same at St. Elizabeth's even though with his inheritance, he now has the authority to change?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Abandonment seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of abandonment? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the lives of the characters? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 2

THE PATRON SAINT OF LIARS is a classic story of loss and renewal. What does that classification entail? Why does this novel fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Thomas and Son. Both men have been a big part of Rose's life but have their hold on her in very different ways. Why are their differences classic examples of conflict in drama? What other similarities and dissimilarities are there between the two characters?

(see the answer keys)

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