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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 sees Valeria and Guido standing close together?

2. When Valeria talks to Mirella after Guido drives her home from the café, where is Sandro?

3. What does Riccardo show Valeria when they are alone?

4. What does Valeria remember seeing through the window bars at school?

5. What does Mirella wear to Mass that she bought for herself?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Guido and Valeria's walk to San Carlo church.

2. What does Valeria remember happening one night when she sat up late with Mirella when she was little?

3. How does Valeria's mother behave at the Easter lunch?

4. Why, thinks Valeria, can Michele not really see her anymore?

5. What is the film about, that Michele and Valeria see together?

6. What personal checks does the director ask Valeria to deal with, and how does she react?

7. How does Mirella respond when Valeria asks her to bring Riccardo his eggs?

8. How does Michele reply when Valeria points out to him that Mirella still is not home?

9. Why does Sandro say it is hard for Valeria to understand her daughter?

10. What does Clara say about working women?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the ideas of generational difference that are expressed in the novel. Discuss them in detail, explaining how they are demonstrated within the plot.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the importance of clothing in the novel. Choose 1-3 examples and discuss their significance within the story.

Essay Topic 3

What is the role of Valeria's mother in the novel? Using specific examples from the text, show the author's intent behind this character.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 750 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample