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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. For what reasons does Deirdre's new girlfriend paint her toenails?

2. What does Natalie say that she would like to study at Smith College?

3. Which character graduates from college with a dual degree?

4. What is Winnie Pye's occupation?

5. How does Augusten travel to visit his mother in Amherst?

Short Essay Questions

1. What messages does Hope claim to be receiving from the cat through her dreams?

2. Halfway through the memoir, the demeanor of the Finch family home begins to change. In what ways is stress affecting the family?

3. What happens after Deirdre meets Winnie Pye?

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

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

6. What does Augusten witness on the last night before Deirdre is taken away by the police?

7. What does Augusten realize about the places that he has lived in relationship to his hopes and dreams for the future?

8. What happens when Natalie and Augusten go to visit Father Kimmel in town?

9. What happens when Augusten sets out to dye Neil Bookman's hair?

10. How do Natalie and Augusten get on at college?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The story is ultimately Augusten Burroughs' account of his childhood. Compare / contrast the boy that Augusten is in the beginning of the novel with the man that he is in the end and give one example of a scene that irrevocably changed the course of Augusten Burroughs' life.

Essay Topic 2

The medical practices of Dr. Finch are called into question numerous times throughout the course of the memoir.

Part 1.) Give three examples of times when Dr. Finch's medical practices were questionable.

Part 2.) Explain what you believe to be Dr. Finch's mentality behind those medical practices.

Part 3.) Weigh in on whether or not you believe Dr. Finch's medical practices were ethical, and explain why.

Essay Topic 3

The sexuality of the characters is a huge theme throughout the memoir. Give two examples of inappropriate sexual relationships between adults and children in the memoir. Then explain the way that the Finch family deals with those sexual relationships and the way that these relationships have shaped and scarred the children involved.

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