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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 apartment does Emily awaken in the beginning of Part 2: Chapter 3?

2. Who is the youngest of Sarah and Tony's children?

3. What does Tony do after Sarah's death?

4. How can Sarah be described at the end of Part 3: Chapter 1?

5. Where does Howard Dunninger go on frequent business trips?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens with Emily and Howard's relationship at the end of Part 3: Chapter 2?

2. What happens at the beginning of Part 2: Chapter 3?

3. What does Emily do to help Sarah in Part 2: Chapter 4?

4. What are Sarah and Tony's sons doing in Part 3: Chapter 1?

5. Why does it appear that this relationship between Howard and Emily will not work?

6. What is happening career-wise for Emily in Part 3: Chapter 3?

7. Describe the party that Emily attends thrown by a friend in Part 3: Chapter 3.

8. What happens at Sarah's funeral and reception?

9. Who is Michael Hogan?

10. What does Emily do concerning her suspicions concerning Sarah's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss time. Yates starts in Tenafly, NY in the 1930s and travels decades over the course of the novel. The novel, just over 200 pages, spans nearly the entirety of Emily and Sarah's lives. Which parts could have been sped up? Slowed down?

Essay Topic 2

As a child, Emily feels inadequate compared to Sarah. How does this feeling of inadequacy extend into adulthood? What can be said for sibling rivalry in The Easter Parade?

Essay Topic 3

Death is an inevitable part of life for the Grimes family and several funerals are attended over the course of the novel. Discuss death in the novel, focusing not only on the literal meaning.

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