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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 the name of the doll that Claudia held while Monday told her about sneaking out for a date in November: "One Year Before the Before"?

2. Who took Claudia to the office to inquire about Monday in October: "The Before"?

3. Claudia says in the preface to October that if Monday were a color she would be what?

4. What were Monday and Claudia's mother watching on television in the morning in December: "Two Years Before the Before"?

5. When did Michael say his father was coming back home in December: "The After"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Monday live? How is this setting described?

2. What color does Claudia say her mother would be in December? Why?

3. What is an unreliable narrator and how does this apply in Monday's Not Coming?

4. Who is Shayla and how is she described?

5. What is the relationship between Claudia and Monday like?

6. When do the chapters titled "The Before" take place?

7. What do the journals symbolize in the novel?

8. Who is Ms. Walker and what is her relationship to Claudia?

9. Who is Jacob Miller? Why is he important to the story?

10. Why did Monday sneak into Claudia's house in November: "One Year Before the Before"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the nonlinear structure of Monday's Not Coming. What different timelines does the narrative cover? How are the different timelines delineated? Why has the author chosen to structure the story this way?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Claudia's struggles in school in Monday's Not Coming. What learning disorder does Claudia struggle with? How is she assisted in learning? What are her feelings about her learning disability?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the plot structure of Monday's Not Coming. Where does the rising action of the narrative begin? Where does the climax occur? What information is related in the falling action and denouement of the plot?

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