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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. Why doesn't Richard Allen Mesington tell Peggy that he loves her?
(a) Because she is much older than he is
(b) He is homosexual
(c) He already has a jealous girlfiend in Sarah
(d) He is debilitatingly shy

2. According to the novel, how fast does a black powder charge burn?
(a) In about 1.45 seconds
(b) 25,000 feet per second
(c) 186,000 miles per second
(d) About 1100 feet per second at sea level

3. From age nine to ten, Richard Allen Mesington believes he will pursue which profession?
(a) Veterinary science
(b) Law
(c) Medicine
(d) Airplane pilot

4. How does Richard Allen Mesinger die?
(a) He is hanged by the British as a traitor
(b) He dies of stomach cancer
(c) Dysentery kills him
(d) He is shot in the head

5. According to the novel, how long was Richard Allen Mesinger "supposed" to have lived?
(a) To age fourteen
(b) To age forty
(c) Long enough to discover a genetic cure for cancer
(d) An additional 60 years

Short Answer Questions

1. How much linear distance in the bore of the "sweet" rifle is used by a typical loading of powder and patched ball?

2. According to the novel, how many movies did Richard Allen Mesinger watch in an average year?

3. Who lives next door to the Richard Allen Mesington family in Missouri?

4. What clears the "mummified grease" (p. 92) from the touchhole of the "sweet" rifle?

5. Who tells Peggy that Richard Allen Mesington has a crush on her?

Short Essay Questions

1. The novel summarizes the life that Richard Allen Mesinger "would" have had if he had not been killed. Is this a valid narrative technique?

2. Describe the early life of Richard Allen Mesinger .

3. Describe the chain of events that leads to the rifle being accidentally discharged.

4. What message does the novel convey?

5. Tim Harrow is characterized as a fringe "crazy" person; the narrative openly mocks him. What actions does he perform in the novel that would make you shun him in the real world?

6. Why does the novel spend so much time characterizing Richard Allen Mesinger?

7. How many people own the "sweet" rifle?

8. Was the "sweet" rifle fundamentally different from other rifles of the period?

9. What experiences does Mesinger have with firearms in his life?

10. Imagine that you came into possession of the "sweet" rifle instead of Tilson. What would you do with the rifle if you did not know its history? What would you do with the rifle if you did know its history?

(see the answer keys)

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