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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. How many bedrooms does Elaine's new apartment have?

2. Who is Dude Massard?

3. Who is Deon?

4. How many anti-Rockefeller drug law events does Elaine attend in her first year out of prison?

5. Who does Elaine receive comfort from at the end of Chapter 38?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Elaine calling in to her job in Chapter 37? Do you think she has good reasons for doing so?

2. Who is Yvonne Stennet and what is her connection to Elaine's family?

3. Why is Elaine not allowed to see Sabrina's body?

4. Why is Jamel so angry with Cassandra?

5. How is Elaine dressed for her first Thanksgiving at home after being in prison?

6. Why is Apartment 13B more crowded than usual on April 3, 2001?

7. When Elaine is in a car wreck on New Year's Eve, what injuries does she suffer from?

8. Describe Cassandra's relationship with Jamel.

9. How is Jamel spending most of his days in Chapter 39?

10. What is Officer Russell's background?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Learn the history of housing projects. What is their purpose? Are they successful in what they intend to do? While housing projects are for people suffering from poverty, do they perpetuate that poverty? Is there a chance for more criminal behavior around a housing project? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

How does the author deal with the setting of "Life on the Outside?" Does it have an effect on the tone of the book? Do you have a good sense of the prisons, the housing projects, and the locations throughout New York?

Essay Topic 3

In "Life on the Outside," the author presents a situation in which it is easier to remain in prison than to succeed out of prison. Stories of people returning to Bedford Hills Prison are told. Jamel's repeated history in prison is another example. Do you agree with the book's message that it is easier in prison than out for the offender? Why or why not? Support your answer with examples.

(see the answer keys)

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