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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. Whose fortune does Maria read in tea leaves?

2. What does Freda do when arriving at the wine factory?

3. What are Freda and Brenda looking at when the story begins?

4. What s Freda's mood at the beginning of Chapter 4?

5. What beverage does Brenda fix for Patrick?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Freda and Brenda's circumstances and how did they meet?

2. What embarrassing habit does Brenda have that annoys Freda?

3. Who is Maria and what is her attachment to Freda?

4. How does Brenda treat Stanley when he attempts to contact her?

5. What is Freda's demeanor following the gunshot incident at the apartment?

6. Why has Freda decided to take a few days off work?

7. How has the gunshot incident affected Freda's outlook and mood?

8. What are Freda's motivations for her behavior regarding Brenda?

9. What has Freda discussed with Rossi regarding Brenda?

10. Whose arrival causes a huge commotion and angst for Brenda?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A feeling of impending doom seems to be an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the dread? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? How does the author create and maintain the feeling of dread? How can an animate object or characteristic be a character?

Essay Topic 2

Bainbridge uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two examples you can identify in the story and note why they are examples of irony.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall setting for the story. Why does Bainbridge use the settings she does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

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This section contains 820 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample