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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. Nancy described the life of the man in #50 as ________________________.

2. When Nancy was fifteen, she had a date ____________________.

3. What movie was the source of recurring nightmares for Nancy Birkla?

4. What role did Wally Lamb have in the production of this book?

5. Which of the following is NOT a word that Wally uses to describe himself?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Nancy begin her story with a memory of her father and his airplane?

2. How did Nancy describe Isadore's life?

3. Who was Aldo and what influence did he have on Nancy's life?

4. Nancy Whiteley also wrote the story, "Orbiting Izzy". What was the premise of this story?

5. How did Nancy view "The Wizard of Oz" once she worked through some psychological issues?

6. What was Wally's reasoning for not being able to refuse Marge Cohen's call to come to York Correctional Institution?

7. Describe Carolyn's initial perceptions of prison life and what humiliations did she endure?

8. When did Wally Lamb know that he wanted to be a teacher, and in which type of students was he particularly interested?

9. Describe some of Carolyn's experiences during a very troubled childhood.

10. What were the circumstances of Nancy's arrest and where did she go after her parents bailed her out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What impact did some of the women's estranged relationships with their mothers have on their lives? What emotional wounds did these women suffer? How did the rejection or abuse by their mothers impact the women's relationships with other people? Did the women feel like she deserved to be abused because they were unworthy? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Betrayal is an important theme in the stories. Can you cite an example to support this theme? Name two other themes and cite examples to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Hatred takes on an almost human persona in the women's stories. What was the source of much of the hatred? Why was the hatred pervasive? What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

(see the answer keys)

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