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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. Who said, "A dead man is not going to do you any good"?

2. Who is Tarwater's uncle?

3. What does Tarwater do when Bishop tries to touch him?

4. Why would Mason leave for days at a time into the woods?

5. When does Tarwater hear the stranger's voice?

Short Essay Questions

1. What makes Bishop cry when he is dining at the hotel with Tarwater and Rayber?

2. Why does Tarwater eat so much at lunch before fishing?

3. In the beginning of chapter 3, why does Tarwater not look at the sky?

4. Why does Buford come to Mason's shack in the beginning of chapter 1?

5. How is it obvious that Tarwater is unfamiliar with telephones?

6. How does Tarwater respond when the truck driver says he better not be sick?

7. What does Tarwater do when he has a hard time thinking of what to say to the woman at the gas station?

8. When Tarwater looks at the burned remains of the cabin, what does he think?

9. What is Rayber reminded of when he holds Bishop to tie his shoe?

10. What does the schoolteacher do when he first hears that Mason is dead?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The characters in "The Violent Bear It Away" were often called different names. Rayber was also "the schoolteacher", and Mason was often called "the old man", for examples. Analyze what the different names imply and which characters used varying names to refer to other characters. Were there power struggles evident, or judgments passed? What is the importance of a name?

Essay Topic 2

Violence and religion converge at many points during this novel. Describe three such times and what is symbolic about the event, how it impacts the characters involved and shapes the rest of the novel. Take time to consider why violence and religion often meet.

Essay Topic 3

The three sections of "The Violent Bear It Away" feature Tarwater in three different settings and under the "care" of different family members, including himself. Compare and contrast the ways that each section helps develop Tarwater and reflects Tarwater as a character.

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This section contains 648 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample