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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Elaine do at the studio, after the art retrospective?

2. What does Elaine's mother talk about?

3. What does Jon call Elaine?

4. What is the name of Elaine's painting about women who hurt themselves by falling on men they love?

5. Does Elaine give the woman money?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Elaine believes that she's good at leaving. Discuss the role of leaving in the novel.

1) How does Elaine separate herself from Cordelia and her other friends? What does leaving the situation involve, emotionally, for Elaine?

2) How and why does Elaine leave Josef and Jon? Compare Elaine's acts of leaving her lovers with leaving her former friends.

3) What other things does Elaine leave behind in the novel? When she leaves something behind, what parts of it does she still carry with her? Is leaving a good thing?

Essay Topic 2

Elaine often feels herself growing stronger or weaker, empowered or powerless. Discuss the importance of power in the novel.

1) When is Elaine powerful, and when does she feel powerless? What gives Elaine power in the course of the novel?

2) How do Elaine and Cordelia use power over others?

3) What power does Elaine's art give her? Does Elaine recognize the power of her art?

Essay Topic 3

Elaine thinks about suicide and also tries to kill herself in the novel, just as Cordelia tries to kill herself. Discuss the role of suicide in the novel.

1) How do Elaine's thoughts of suicide when she is a young girl affect her? Where do they come from?

2) Why does Elaine try to kill herself when she's married to Jon? Why does she lie about her suicide attempt?

3) Why does Cordelia try to kill herself? Compare Cordelia's suicide attempt to Elaine's suicide attempt.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 350 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample