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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 is Kristin doing in Chapter 21?

2. In Chapter 14, Donna and Tara spend Christmas day doing what?

3. What does Tara's mother do at first to discourage her from doing "the doorknob thing" in Chapter 15?

4. Mr. Jacobson knows someone with a similar problem as Tara's from where?

5. Tara's new psychiatrist tells her to think about her parents being dead for how long during each time in Chapter 20?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tara's treatment with Susan Leopardi begin in Chapter 20?

2. How has Tara evolved as a character from the beginning of the novel to Chapter 22?

3. How does Tara's mother feel after taking Tara to a doctor in Chapter 15? How has Tara's behavior progressed?

4. What is Tara's first meeting with Dr. Susan Leopardi like in Chapter 19?

5. What treatment has Sam received for his condition? How does Tara relate to his discussion about OCD in Chapter 18?

6. What is the purpose of the book's Afterword? Who is it written by and what does it contain?

7. What question does Tara ask her teacher in Chapter 21? Who in the class understands Tara's question?

8. How does Tara describe her relationship with Sam in Chapter 23? How has Tara grown by the novel's end?

9. What do Tara and Donna spend Christmas doing in Chapter 14? What does Tara ask Donna?

10. What fortunes are read by Tara's family at the Chinese restaurant in Chapter 16?

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

Describe and analyze Tara's experience at the carnival in Chapter 10. In what ways is this a pinnacle of demoralization for Tara? How does Tara's mother feel about her behavior? How does Tara's father react to the situation? What major lesson does Tara learn?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the element of language and style in literature and in the novel. How is language used in "Kissing Doorknobs"? How is it used thematically with Tara's character? How do the characters interact with one another? Does this differ from how Tara's internal mind thinks?

(see the answer keys)

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