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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. Miller's uses many words to describe his meeting with MacMurray. Which of the following is not a work he used to describe his meeting with MacMurray?

2. Miller asks for what from the reader?

3. Miller also remembers watching a documentary on what animal?

4. According to Miller, what lesson is a father responsible for instilling in a young child?

5. What does Miller read that also helps him to understand importance of a father in a child's fife?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Miller get to Boring, Oregon?

2. Miller suggests that as a child he was attracted to stories about dwarfs and dragons. In particular, he wanted to own and ride a dragon. He believes that the dragon took on the role of a father figure. What characteristics of the dragon do you believe remind him of a father figure?

3. In Chapter 1, Miller describes meeting Mr. Gentiles as one of the key turning points in his life. Why does Miller believe this?

4. In Chapters 5 and 6, Miller makes a connection between authority and love. Describe this connection.

5. Miller identifies several areas in his life affected by not having a father. What are these areas?

6. Miller describes how on their first musth, young, orphaned elephants go into the wild and find a male mentor who shows them how to be a male elephant. If the young elephant cannot do this, what happens to the young elephant?

7. In Chapter 5, Spirituality, Miller uses two paradoxes (contradictory statements or actions) to describes his relationship with God? What are they?

8. In Chapter 5, Miller begins to identify the positive and negative characteristics of God's love. What are these characteristics?

9. In Chapter 6, Miller's tone changes. He also more exclusively addresses his intended audience. How does his tone change and what positive and negative effect can these changes have on the reader?

10. What is the author's intent in writing this book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 2, Our Problem, Miller provides two stories about animals. What are these stories and what do the animals symbolize for Miller? Do you agree with these beliefs in these stories? Are the animals accurate representations of the points Miller is trying to make? Why or Why not? Support your answer with specific evidence from the book. .

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 11, work ethic is examined. However, the author does not provide a definition of work ethic. Instead, he describes several work ethics characteristics.

a. Identify the characteristics that Miller indicates are parts of a work ethics. How did apply them to himself? Do you agree or not with the characteristics that he identified? What characteristics of a good work ethic did he not address?

b. Miller connects his understanding of work ethics of humans as a spiritual responsibility. How does he do this? Do you agree or not with his explanation of work ethics as spiritual responsibility?

c. In addition, there are many other critical characteristics of a good work ethic. What characteristics did he not address that he should address? Do these additional characteristics contribute to his comparison of work ethics to a faith based explanation?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 11, the author addresses integrity. He does not define integrity. Instead, he gives examples of integrity and provides stories about how he learned about integrity. Define integrity as Miller uses it in the context of this book. Compare and contrast Miller's concept of integrity with your understanding of integrity. How are they similar? Different? What is missing, if anything, in Miller's definition? What would you add or change about his definition? Why or Why not?

(see the answer keys)

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