View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How tall was the Douglas Fir that Deirdre purchased when Augusten was 10 years old?

2. Into whose bedroom does Natalie move the Finch family Christmas tree?

3. How long of a notice does Augusten give Natalie before he moves out of his apartment?

4. What message does Freud supposedly give to the dreamer?

5. Where does Deirdre meet Cesar Mendoza?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Brenda comes to visit the Finch family?

2. Why do Hope Finch and Neil Bookman get into a huge fight about Neil's relationship with Augusten?

3. What does Natalie inform Augusten of while they are whale watching, and how does she prove her point?

4. What does Augusten remember about the Christmas tree that his mother brought home when Augusten was 10?

5. How does Augusten react to Hope's sudden onset of mental instability?

6. After Neil Bookman has been gone for over a year, what realization does Augusten come to about their relationship?

7. What conversation between Agnes and Natalie erupts into a huge fight as the family is watching television?

8. Who is Cesar Mendoza and what does he look like?

9. What significant event happens during Natalie and Augusten's first live performance at the mental health hospital?

10. What happens to the rest of the Finch family in the epilogue?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Unrequited love becomes a large theme throughout the novel.

Part 1.) Create a list of examples of unrequited love throughout the memoir.

Part 2.) Compare / contrast the unrequited love between Deirdre and Dr. Finch with the unrequited love between Neil Bookman and Augusten.

Part 3.) Explain the effect that unrequited love had on Augusten after the incident with the convenience store clerk in Amherst.

Essay Topic 2

Both Augusten and the Finch children seem to have grown up completely neglected by their parents.

Part 1.) Create a list of three examples that illustrate parental neglect in the memoir.

Part 2.) Create a list of three examples that illustrate the way that the children handled the neglectful situations, ensuring that their basic needs were met.

Part 3.) Argue whether you believe that the Finch's actually neglected their children, or chose to employ unusual parenting techniques. Use examples from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Augusten's biological brother, Troy, makes only one appearance throughout the memoir.

Part 1.) Describe Augusten's encounter with Troy in New York and the realization that Augusten had about his family after it.

Part 2.) Compare and contrast Augusten's relationship with his biological brother Troy to his relationship with his adopted sister Natalie. Which relationship seemed to have a larger effect on Augusten's view of the world? Use examples from the text to support your argument.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 904 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample