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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 does Tara call repeatedly at work to express her anxiety and fears in Chapter 8?

2. Tara tells her parents that the teacher told the class to call the police if they saw their parents doing what in Chapter 3?

3. What school friend of Tara's is described as a jock?

4. Where does Tara go after leaving the store in Chapter 12?

5. Where does Tara's mother get a job in Chapter 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tara deal with her parents' absence while they are at work in Chapter 8?

2. How does Chapter 11 serve the plot of the narrative? How do the events in this chapter relate to those in Chapter 10?

3. What awakens Tara in Chapter 2? Who does she turn to for reassurance?

4. What is Tara's response to being kicked off the volleyball team in Chapter 3?

5. How is the character of Greta depicted in Chapter 7?

6. How has Tara's erratic behavior evolved at the beginning of Chapter 4? What does Tara do about her condition?

7. What draws Tara to Donna as a person in Chapter 11?

8. In terms of character arc, where is Tara in Chapter 10? How is this chapter an imprint on her character?

9. How does Tara feel after the incident at the carnival in Chapter 10? What new fear has arisen?

10. What leads Tara to study religion in Chapter 6? How is this perceived by her family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze Tara's first experiences with stealing. What drives Tara back to confess in Chapter 12? How does this reflect Tara's morals? How does Father O'Malley react to Tara's confession? When before has Tara discussed the priest? What are her feelings about him?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss intrusive thoughts as symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. How are intrusive thoughts defined? How are these symptomatic of OCD? How do intrusive thoughts differ from things like a passing crush or worry about a test? What are examples of intrusive thoughts in Tara's character?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of fear and Tara's fears in the narrative. What has led to Tara's fear of losing her parents? How is Tara's condition affected when her father is hospitalized? How does the isolation from her friends affect Tara? What does Tara claim her greatest fear is in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

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