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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 do Macon and Sarah do when Macon pulls over?

2. What is Sarah wearing on the drive back from their vacation?

3. What does Grandfather Leary tell Macon in his dream?

4. Why does Macon feel inadequate with Muriel?

5. Where does Muriel tell Macon she's never been?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to Macon and Sarah's son, Ethan?

2. How does Macon hurt himself in the basement?

3. In Philadelphia, what does Porter's daughter, Susan, tell Macon about Ethan?

4. After Macon returns home from London, why does Muriel Pritchett call him?

5. Recount Macon's trip to England, paying close attention to his specific habits and goals.

6. Describe Macon's siblings and their current lifestyle.

7. What are Macon's and Sarah's reactions to the stormy weather and why are they significant?

8. In Chapter 17, why is the story Muriel tells Macon about a man she "cured" who left her?

9. What does Muriel tell Macon about herself in Chapter 7?

10. What does Muriel do as she trains Edward and what kind of personality does she have?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The issue of class is significant in the novel. Macon's family is middle-class, while Muriel has a working-class background. When Macon begins to see Muriel, his family do not approve of Muriel because they think she is just out for a meal ticket. How are Macon's reservations about Muriel also about class division?

Essay Topic 2

Macon's inability to communicate presents major difficulties for him. Discuss the psychological reasons behind his withdrawal from those around him, and the ramifications of his actions, beginning with his marriage to Sarah to the present day.

Essay Topic 3

The definition of family in "The Accidental Tourist" is a complicated one, one that is constantly shifting and evolving.

1. Discuss what makes a family in the novel. Is it blood relations, obligations, emotional bonds, or all three?

2. How do the families function? Which ones flounder? Which ones thrive?

(see the answer keys)

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