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A STEP BEYOND

TESTS AND ANSWERS

TEST 1

_____ 1. The novel, A Separate Peace, is written through the eyes of

A. the omniscient writer
B. Finny, one of the main characters
C. Gene, one of the main characters _____ 2. Missing an exam and being late for dinner may be seen in the novel as
A. the theme of rivalry
B. breaking the rules
C. the theme of war _____ 3. Finny's second fall occurs when
A. he again falls from the tree
B. he has a skiing accident
C. he tumbles down a flight of marble stairs _____ 4. The following themes may be found in A Separate Peace, EXCEPT
A. aging in American society
B. the psychology of war
C. guilt and ambiguity _____ 5. Gene's jump from the tree results in
A. his becoming more daring at death-defying feats
B. his realization that he is still very much afraid of jumping
C. his refusal to ever repeat the jump from the tree _____ 6. The narration of the story takes place
A. fifteen years after high school
B. in the present
C. in the distant past _____ 7. Gene's close mishap in the tree is an example of the literary technique of
A. paralleling
B. foreshadowing
C. symbolization of war _____ 8. The major event of the novel may be
A. Gene's trial
B. Finny's fall from the tree
C. Leper's being AWOL _____ 9. Whether Gene deliberately shook the branch that resulted in Finny's fall is
A. determined for us by the end of the book
B. omitted by the author as irrelevant
C. omitted deliberately to illustrate the illusive nature of truth _____ 10. The title, A Separate Peace, refers to
A. the peace treaty of Versailles that ended the war
B. the many kinds of peace that various characters in the book seek and find
C. the truce that enables Finny's friendship with Gene to continue

12. Competition plays a large role in the story. illustrate this with anecdotes, and tell whether you feel the competition in each case is constructive or destructive, and why.

13. "Sixteen is the key and crucial and natural age for a human being to be," Gene says. "When you are sixteen, adults are slightly impressed and almost intimidated by you." Agree or disagree with this.

14. To what extent do you believe forces beyond their control influence the actions of the main characters in the story?

15. Finny says to Gene, "When you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love." What do you think he means by this?

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