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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. According to Mary, why don't women go home to relax?

2. Which of the following statements best describes the five women profiled in this book?

3. In what decade did family shelters first start to pop up in Boston?

4. In what situation does Mary describe children as caregivers?

5. Why was Mary jealous of her colleagues when she was living in Amherst?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the main difference between men and women in regards to "multiple lives"?

2. How did Mary's views about discontinuity change as she completed this book?

3. What leads Mary to the statement that all five of the women profiled in the book are "idealists"?

4. Why did Jon need a blood transfusion when he was young?

5. What was Mary Bateson's father's thesis in his writings about ecology?

6. What type of food did Mary cook for Barkev when they were first married?

7. How does Johnnetta feel about the need to divide her time between her private and personal lives?

8. In what way does Ellen's home define her life?

9. In what ways is leading multiple lives similar to having "heightened wisdom"?

10. What does Mary mean when she says that all five of the women in the book are "conservers"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the opening chapter of the text, author Mary Catherine Bateson uses various metaphors and similes to express the ways women in today's modern society have been living improvisationally, and how this lifestyle affects society as a whole. Choose two of the metaphors you believe are most poignant in describing an improvisational life and describe how Bateson weaves these metaphors throughout the text. Then, argue why you believe these metaphors accurately depict the life of a modern woman. Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Homelessness is a huge theme in the book, both literally and metaphorically. First, describe the state of homelessness in Boston at the time of the book's creation. What did Mary learn about herself and her society as care givers based on her research into homelessness? Then, explain how the theme of homelessness is used as a metaphor in the book to discuss a woman's role, both in her family and her community. Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout Mary's life, and particularly during her time at Amherst, Mary was subjected to the ugliness in the world, and in people. First, describe why Mary would consider her time at Amherst to be negative. What lessons did Mary learn about herself and society during that time? Then, describe the advice Mary gives to readers who also fear the loss of innocence and disillusionment in the world. Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

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