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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. Where does Manus invite Shannon after the infomercial?

2. What is Manus's occupation?

3. Which character(s) do(es) Shannon consider her worst enemy?

4. What has the owner of the house used for the master bathroom walls?

5. Why does Shannon resent her dead brother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Brandy's final request to Shannon before she dies?

2. Why is Shannon angry when we sees herself, Manus, and Evie in the infomercial?

3. Why does Brandy make Rona Barrett her new Supreme Being?

4. Why does the narrator feel that she has no native tongue?

5. Why does Shannon feel she is in competition with Brandy and Evie in the first scene?

6. When the realtor talks about Canadian currency, why does it give the group pause?

7. What device does the author employ again and again to convey Shannon's emotions?

8. What story does Brandy tell the border policemen to try to get them back into the USA?

9. What subject is Evie most interested in during the pretend dramas she enacts with Shannon at the department store?

10. What is the one thing Shannon has wanted to be asked?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the novel, each character goes through a transformation. Go through each major character one by one and explains their journey and ultimate conclusion. Be sure to use specifics from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Shannon and Brandy. How are they alike? How are they different? What paths have they taken in the quest for true originality? How could their shared childhood have sent them in such different directions? Do they come to peace with one another in the end of the novel? Why or why not? Why did Brandy choose to deceive Shannon for so long? Be sure to use examples from the text in your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

The novel makes use of different stereotypes are archetypes for some of the characters such as the model, the drag queen, and even the Texas oil princess. Choose three stereotypes and unpack their roles in the novel. To which characters do these stereotypes apply? Do they apply to multiple characters? How does the use of stereotypes contribute to the central theme of the novel? Do the stereotyped characters undergo any changes or are they static, remaining the same from start to finish?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 687 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample