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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 Mr. Mesington do for a living?
2. According to the novel, what is the muzzle velocity of a black powder rifle's projectile?
3. According to the novel, how many baseball games did Richard Allen Mesinger watch in an average year?
4. From age nine to ten, Richard Allen Mesington believes he will pursue which profession?
5. Why doesn't Richard Allen Mesington play with the next door neighbor Harv Kline's son?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe the early life of Richard Allen Mesinger .
2. Throughout the 217 year history of the "sweet" rifle, what is it functionally used for?
3. Describe Richard Allen Mesinger's early teenage life.
4. How does the rifle fire after 217 years?
5. The novel summarizes the life that Richard Allen Mesinger "would" have had if he had not been killed. Is this a valid narrative technique?
6. How many people own the "sweet" rifle?
7. What happens when the rifle accidentally discharges above Harv Kline's fireplace?
8. The Mesinger family moves several times during the novel; what impact does this have on Richard Allen Mesinger?
9. Tim Harrow owns the "sweet" rifle for a few days. He buys it, wraps it up in cloth, and trades it away a few days later. As a character, Harrow has no narrative function beyond transporting the rifle from point A to point B, just like Sarah, an editor, an antique dealer, and a gun collector. Yet the novel spends a significant portion of its space developing Harrow as a character. Why?
10. Describe the chain of events that leads to the rifle being accidentally discharged.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
In today's terms, John Byam would be called a sniper. Discuss the role of snipers in today's military actions. Is the role of a sniper somehow immoral? Why or why not?
Essay Topic 2
John Byam kills his first man when he shoots a British Officer who is about to hang one of Byam's friends. Byam doesn't spend any time thinking about his action before shooting the British Officer. Do you think that Byam made the right choice? Why or why not?
Essay Topic 3
The novel openly mocks Tim Harrow's personal philosophy that draws from firearms and American history, the United States Constitution, and Christianity. Do you think that these sources of information are suitable for mockery?
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This section contains 740 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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