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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. Why do the parties become boring?

2. What job did Didion's great-great-grandfather do in Hawaii?

3. Of what old adage does the area remind Didion?

4. What happened when the gold was discovered?

5. To what state does Didion decide to move?

Short Essay Questions

1. Summarize the book.

2. Describe Alcatraz Island as depicted in this essay.

3. What does Didion think of Newport Beach?

4. What problems does Didion face when she and her husband visit her family?

5. Why does Didion decide to move to Los Angeles?

6. How do the Los Angeles citizens know when the Santa Ana winds are about to blow?

7. What are Didion's thoughts about the island?

8. Describe the movie on which Didion bases this essay.

9. Why is Didion finding Los Angeles depressing in this essay?

10. Why does Didion think no one can truly define what is moral?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one of the essays in the book and answer the following questions:

1) What is the main argument of the essay?

2) How does Didion construct the argument?

3) Are there any weaknesses in her argument?

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the following subjects to base a 500-word essay:

1) The hippie cultural influence on Sixties and Seventies America.

2) The true definition of moral behavior.

3) The importance of an extended family.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the famous people Didion portrays in the book and examine his/her life. How does Didion represent him or her in the essay? Is this an accurate representation of this person?

(see the answer keys)

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