2. Based on the narrative in the twelfth chapter of the book, how does Penny show her support for Pop-pop's belief that he is able to talk to Mickey, the nephew whom he lost in the War, through radio static?

3. According to the narrative in the thirteenth chapter of the book, what types of items is Penny gifted with on her birthday that may help enhance her appearance?

4. Based on the narrative in Chapter 14 of the book, why has Frankie decided to run to Penny's house and hide there?

5. According to the narrative in the twelfth chapter of the book, how does Frankie attempt to turn Aunt Concetta's wake into what he considers to be a fun event for himself?

6. According to the text in Chapter 17 of the book, what contributes to Penny's disappointment while she is in the hospital?

7. Based on the text in the twelfth chapter of the book, why does Frankie feel justified in treating Aunt Concetta's death as an uneventful occurrence in his life as well as that of Penny's?

8. According to the text in the twelfth chapter of the book, how does Uncle Dominic resolve the situations that Uncle Benny gets into as family members are attempting to make their way to and from Aunt Concetta's wake?

9. According to the narrative in Chapter 19, what contributes to Penny changing her attitude toward Mr. Mulligan change while she is in the hospital?

10. Based on the text in Chapter 14 of the book, how does Frankie's problem with the church ultimately get resolved?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is within the story, a flashback of Penny dreaming about being with her father at the beach - an obvious illusion of sorts. She is awakened by water from a leaky toilet leaking on her face. She calls on her Uncle Dominic to fix the leaky toilet; and he does - just as he has always done before. Does the leaky toilet wake up Penny to the fact that her biological father now only exists in her dreams, while the role that her Uncle Dominic has in her life is more that of a real father? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book to support your position.

Essay Topic 2

During Penny's stay in the hospital, Mr. Mulligan visits her, and the two begin a daily meeting of the minds in relation to the news of the day, which Mr. Mulligan shares with Penny via the newspaper. That series of events presents Penny with a pleasant personality traits of Mr. Mulligan that she was not familiar with, and that she learns to appreciate. Looking back at some of the things that Penny did to dissuade Mr. Mulligan from remaining romantically involved with her mother, such as being cross with him and lying to him about her mother having hit her, can Penny's new outlook toward him be based more on her desire for reconciliation, or on her finally accepting that a new man in both her life and that of her mother's may be inevitable and imminent? Cite text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

As Penny begins her job at Falucci's Market, we meet Uncle Ralphie and Aunt Fulvia - a married couple who apparently do not see eye to eye in the area of finances. Specifically, what are the differences between them? Are either one of them justified in the position that they uphold? Who is right? Who would you side with and why? Include text and/or paraphrase scenarios from the book to support your position.

(see the answer keys)

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