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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 does Teddy call to inform the family about?

2. To what is Goolrick addicted?

3. What does Goolrick do in the early morning the day following his mother's death?

4. What singer did brother sing to Goolrick when he claimed he had broken his new stereo?

5. What did Goolrick purchase for his parents for which they never thanked him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain Goolrick's initial reaction to his friend's attempt, and his later reactions.

2. Explain why Goolrick's sister-in-law claims to hate him.

3. Describe Goolrick's state of mind at this point in the novel.

4. Describe Goolrick's parents as he describes them by the end of the chapter.

5. Explain who Sam Weller is, and what happens to him.

6. Describe Dodo.

7. Explain why Goolrick is surprised at his emotions following his father's death.

8. Describe the area where Mother and Father are buried.

9. Describe the event with mother's blue and green striped dress.

10. Explain why Goolrick is somewhat of a star in the hospital.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, Goolrick admits to constantly seeking satisfaction, love, affection, and acceptance, through drugs, alcohol, sex, and material possessions. Discuss these issues in detail. Why did Goolrick always feel he was not complete? Why did he use alcohol and drugs? What was he trying to hide? Why did he stop allowing others to love him, and stop loving others, as well? Do you think all his issues are related to his childhood trauma, or are these issues related to a lifetime of abuse? Do you think that lifetime of abuse would have occurred if the molestation had not happened? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the following chapters / sections of the novel, and analyze it, in depth. What was it included in the book? What was the point of the section? What does the section discuss? How is this important to the overall themes presented in the novel?

- Aunt Dodo

- The volleyball match at the hospital

- The Cowboy Sandwich

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Goolrick's experiences with female lovers to his experiences with male lovers. Be sure to include not only the primary lovers, but also those obscure lovers Goolrick mentions throughout the novel, such as the girl next door and the boy who practiced sex on him. How did he feel about his male lovers? His female lovers? What do you think caused these differences? Do you think Goolrick is homosexual, bisexual, or merely a sexual deviant as a result of his experiences?

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