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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. Where did Mr. Buechner grow up?

2. What was the name of Grandmother's father?

3. How many children were there in Mr. Buechner's family?

4. Freddy believes that it is possible to hear even through everyday _____.

5. Buechner refers to which type of bird?

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss Freddy's favorite book as a child. Which character was Freddy's favorite?

2. Discuss the scenario around the death of Freddy's father.

3. How does Freddy's dependency upon his parents affect him in a negative way?

4. Discuss the presence of Grandma Buechner. How close is the family to the grandmother?

5. What are Buechner's thoughts regarding adulthood and emotional maturity?

6. Discuss the duplicity of Freddy's father and how it affects the child.

7. Discuss the reference Buechner makes to Dylan Thomas. Which poem is mentioned? What is the theme explored by Buechner?

8. What is the common thread between Freddy's sudden departure, his father's death and "Gone With The Wind?"

9. What is Freddy's opinion regarding the memories of the dead?

10. What is the first sign that the world is not always a safe place for little Freddy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Freddy exhibits mental instability while he was in the army. What is your opinion on the issue? Was Freddy simply scared of the orders, or were there other factors at work? Do you think the meltdown experienced by Freddy was caused by the situation or was it residual from his childhood? What was the reaction of the commanding officer? What happened to Freddy after he broke down? How did it affect his career? Was Freddy ordered to get help? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the time the Buechners spent in Bermuda. Why did Mrs. Buechner take the family to Bermuda? Who went along? Where in Bermuda did the family stay? Was it intended to be a vacation or a permanent move? What were the opinions of the three grandparents? What was Kathy's reasoning for the trip? How did the family react to their new surroundings? How long did they stay? What prompted the move to North Carolina? What about the time in Bermuda stayed with Freddy? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

There are often many differences between the personalities of the youngest and eldest child in a family, regardless of size. Discuss the differences between Freddy and Jamie. Compare and contrast the brothers. Examine how the boys view family life, their parents and grandparents, father's suicide and last effects of the tragedy.

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