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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. What month is it when Howard describes his mother helping his father dress before his father is taken away in Chapter 3?
(a) March.
(b) April.
(c) September.
(d) January.

2. What word used by Howard in Chapter 3 refers to a disgrace or humiliation?
(a) Indignity.
(b) Catharsis.
(c) Compliment.
(d) Epiphany.

3. George awakens for the last time how many hours before he dies in Chapter 4?
(a) 48 hours before his death.
(b) 24 hours before his death.
(c) 16 hours before his death.
(d) 72 hours before his death.

4. What does Howard witness his father trying to grab from a barrel during his mental decline in Chapter 3?
(a) An apple.
(b) A gun.
(c) A kitten.
(d) A loaf of bread.

5. What kind of car does Howard borrow from Jimmy Drizos in Chapter 4?
(a) A Ford pickup.
(b) A VW bus.
(c) A Chevy pickup.
(d) A Ford sedan.

Short Answer Questions

1. What religion is Megan's mother said to be in Chapter 4?

2. What is the principle motif that reappears throughout Tinkers?

3. What part of a clock is described in Chapter 4 as "where the energy generated by the mainspring finally escapes the clock"?

4. What shoes does Howard wear when he goes into the woods to look for his father after he's been taken away in Chapter 3?

5. What color does the green sea turn in the excerpt from Chapter 4 called "Homo Borealis"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Howard's death described in Chapter 4? What is this description juxtaposed against?

2. Who does Howard Crosby marry in Philadelphia? How is this character described?

3. How has Howard managed to track down George's address in Chapter 4? What does he do when he locates George?

4. Where does Megan go during the Christmas holidays in 1953? What does Howard do after she leaves?

5. Where does Howard go to search for his father after Reverend Crosby's disappearance in Chapter 3?

6. What hallucinations does Howard experience in Tagg Pond in Chapter 3, Part 2?

7. What is symbolic about the descriptions of Reverend Crosby fading from Howard's vision in Chapter 3, Part 1?

8. How does Howard's medical condition change after he moves away and begins living under an alias?

9. What is the principle motif used throughout Tinkers? What does this motif represent?

10. How would you describe the language style of Tinkers? Is the language easy to understand?

(see the answer keys)

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