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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. When Plum remarks that she feels "weird" (143) after going to the waxing salon, to what is she referring?

2. Leeta ends up being sought by authorities because she confesses what piece of information to her roommate?

3. For what reason do Marlowe and Plum get kicked out of the Strippercise class?

4. What does Plum say she can tell about the sales clerk at the plus-size clothing store?

5. What favor does Julia ask of Plum during their conversation in Plum's bedroom?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author employ foreshadowing within the passage when Kitty calls Plum at home and asks her to come to Austen Media?

2. What does Plum mean when she says, "After years of not fighting back, I was coiled like a snake" (233)?

3. Who does Plum call when Verena tells Plum to call anyone who will notice she is missing once she moves into The Calliope House? What do her choices reveal about her life prior to connecting with the women of The Calliope House?

4. Discuss Plum's comments about her ability to be "like the lilac negligee woman" (234) from the lingerie ads or like Leeta.

5. What personal advice does Julia offer to Plum during their conversation in Plum's bedroom and how does Plum react?

6. How is the theme of passing depicted within Julia's experiences at Austen Media?

7. Describe "the Jennifer effect" (231) and its implications.

8. Describe the arc of Plum's writing career over the course of the novel.

9. In what way is Plum already familiar with Marlowe before she meets her at Cafe Rose?

10. How does the theme of misplaced female envy come into play within the author's depiction of Plum's dream about being skinny?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the novel Dietland from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

Essay Topic 2

Explicate the theme of indoctrination within the novel, particularly in relation to the novel's protagonist. What is the author's message regarding societal indoctrination and how do you know?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's use of humor alongside humanist messages within the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,592 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample