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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. What is Lottie's nationality?

2. What is the main activity of the women's group that Lottie forms.

3. What do Lottie and Sade never speak about during their long friendship?

4. Who do most Americans blame for the Great Depression?

5. What is Lottie's friend, Sade's, last name?

Short Essay Questions

1. What special talent does Lottie have and why does she take so much pride in it?

2. Describe how Charles and Lottie are so different from each other.

3. Who is Trudy Woodlief and why does she create such a stir when she arrives in town?

4. How does Lottie anonymously make sure that Trudy gets credit in Porter's store?

5. Why does Lottie take back the meal she had brought for Trudy and her children?

6. How does the author show the close relationship between Lottie and Betty?

7. How does Lottie punish Charles for his unconscionable behavior regarding the death of the boy at the mill?

8. Because hers is not a happy marriage, how does Lottie instruct Betty in what to look for in satisfying relationships?

9. What is Lottie's recurrent romantic fantasy and how does her real life differ from the dream?

10. How does the author show that Charles is losing his rational mind?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses several instances of foreshadowing in the story. Explain what foreshadowing is and cite at least two examples making sure to explain what makes each an instance of foreshadowing.

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two other examples you can identify in the novel and note why they are examples of irony.

Essay Topic 3

Project into the future ten years after the end of the novel and write a brief synopsis for Marjorie's life. Will the memories of her mother and grandmother still be such a powerful presence in her life? What is the nature of her relationships based on what she learned from her mother and grandmother?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,095 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample