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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. What does Blanche put into her pockets?

2. Of what is Annie reminded when her mother puts on two bras at one time?

3. How many sons does Annie have?

4. Annie finds herself feeling ____________ toward her mother.

5. When is Annie's patience most tested with her mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the nickname Annie gave her mother when she was only five-years-old?

2. Explain the irony of Annie's mother's comments as they relate to the events in Annie's life.

3. How does Annie describe the nursing home?

4. What surprises Annie about the handbag purchase her mother makes?

5. How does Annie take care of her mother's physical needs and how does her mother's condition affect her?

6. What happens between Annie and her mother which is heartbreaking for Annie?

7. What is the unexpected gesture from her mother that surprises and touches Annie?

8. What is Annie reminded of when she visits her mother after a trip to Spain?

9. When does Annie's mother first begin to show signs of deterioration?

10. How did Annie's grandmother's death affect Annie's mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of girls and women in mid-20th century France. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the concept of loneliness as it exhibits in the story. Which of the people are lonely? Are they all lonely in some way? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

Essay Topic 3

Guilt takes on an almost human persona in this story. What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

(see the answer keys)

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