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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 Social Safeway?

2. Why does Ruby think Edgar is not seeing any improvements?

3. How does Mary Ann know Connie Bradshaw?

4. In "Post-Mortem," what does Mary Ann do after looking at the "moon river"?

5. What gift does Mary Ann receive as her welcome gift?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mrs. Madrigal comfort Edgar after he confesses that he is dying?

2. Discuss Mary Ann's initial reaction to the lifestyle in San Francisco.

3. How is Mona's relationship with her mother different from her relationship with Mrs. Madrigal?

4. Why does Mary Ann consider moving back to Cleveland and what changes her mind?

5. What is Mona worried about after Michael meets Jon?

6. What happens in Chapters 22 through 30 that shows how the narrative intersects the lives of its characters?

7. In "Relating at Lunch," how does Beauchamp change the status of his relationship with Mary Ann?

8. How does Mrs. Madrigal react when Mary Ann mentions the picture of the soldier in her bedroom?

9. How does Edgar Halcyon describe himself?

10. Of what does Hillary accuse Brian? How does he react?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the significance of the chapter titles throughout the novel. Choose at least 3 chapter titles and explain their layers of meaning, providing examples from the book to support your statements.

Essay Topic 2

The one nuclear family in the book include the Halcyons: Edgar, Frannie, DeDe, and Beauchamp (by marriage). How does the author portray this family? Based on this portrayal, what can the reader infer about the author's view of family?

Essay Topic 3

How does the author build on the mystery surrounding the character of Mrs. Madrigal? What do readers know about her? What do we not know? How does the author use other characters to reveal pieces of the puzzle surrounding Mrs. Madrigal's character?

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