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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 is Carol's husband?

2. What does Adele do to Ann many times during their trip?

3. What is Ann's last name?

4. What is Ann's grandmother's name?

5. Who does Ann call from a gas station?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Art and how does Lillian's relationship with him negatively impact her life?

2. Explain how Carol and Adele are dissatisfied with their lives and the men in their worlds.

3. What does California symbolize to Adele?

4. What does Hisham's disappointing life symbolize and how does Ann feel about him?

5. Describe Ann's relationship with her mother.

6. Who is Lillian and what is her relationship with her aunts?

7. Why is Adele jealous of Ann's burgeoning sexuality?

8. What does Carol believe is the basis of some of Adele's outlandish behavior?

9. How does Adele's mental health come into question regarding how she manages Christmas for Ann and the rest of her family?

10. How are the Swans' lives comparable to Adele and Ann's life, even though the Swans live in an expensive home in an exclusive are of Los Angeles?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Carol and Adele. Both women want influence over Lillian but have their hold on her in very different ways. Why are their differences classic examples of conflict in drama? What other similarities and dissimilarities are there between the two characters?

Essay Topic 2

Create a character study of Adele. What are her physical characteristics? What are her motivations? What are her fears? What are her dreams? What else can you say about Adele?

Essay Topic 3

Mental cruelty seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of psychological abuse? Why does it have such a prevalent place in Ann's life because of her mother? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,164 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample