View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Tyler's mother defend in the principal's office?

2. For what does Tyler apologize to Bethany?

3. When does Tyler receive his first hug from Bethany?

4. Where is Tyler's dad while Tyler is sleeping?

5. Who says Tyler runs away when things get tough?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tyler feel after the party, and what does he do?

2. What does Tyler find when he arrives at school on the Monday after the party?

3. How does Hannah find out that Tyler is planning to leave home?

4. How does Tyler feel about life when he wakes one morning, and what does he contemplate doing?

5. Where do Yoda and Tyler go after the batting cage, and what does Tyler do?

6. What does Tyler do when he finds Bethany, Chip, and Parker passed out?

7. What happens when Tyler returns from the basement with the dictionary?

8. How does Tyler confront Chip, and what happens when he encounters Bethany?

9. What do the individual members of Tyler's family do on homecoming night?

10. Why does Tyler apologize to Bethany, and what is her response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. Often authors will write about what they know, and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes books more interesting. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Laurie Halse Anderson.

2. What in Anderson's background may have helped her in writing Twisted? What may have influenced the way she depicted various characters and scenes? Use specific examples from the text.

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his or her novels? Why or why not?

4. What does the term "author agenda" mean? Give an example of author's agenda in Twisted. Trace and analyze the identified agenda as it appears throughout the book.

5. How often do you think an author writes fiction with a clear agenda in mind? Explain your answer. Give examples if possible. Do you think that writers who have a conscious agenda for writing should point it out in a preface? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Over the course of Twisted, Tyler grows as a person in both complexity and understanding. Twisted might be considered a slice of Tyler's larger "coming of age" story. It might be said that Twisted is a "bildungsroman" of Tyler Miller. Discuss the following:

1. Define bildungsroman/coming-of-age literature as a genre and give several examples from literature you have read.

2. Trace and analyze the character of Tyler as he changes from an angry, depressed boy to a wiser, more mature young man. What are the significant events that change Tyler?

3. Are there any other characters in Twisted who go through a coming-of-age experience? Who? Why do you think so?

Essay Topic 3

Tyler finally decides to take control of his own life. First, he needs to work out some aggression in a positive way, rather than berating himself or attacking others. He goes to a batting cage.

1. Discuss reasons why you think Tyler has so much anger and aggression in him. Use examples from your own life and Twisted to support your answer.

2. Discuss various other ways Tyler could work out his aggression, besides hitting baseballs. Use examples from your own life and Twisted to support your answer.

3. Discuss, in depth, why Tyler's confrontation with Chip is healing for Tyler. Use examples Twisted to support your answer.

4. Do you think that, by the end of Twisted, Tyler has solved all his problems? Why or why not? Refer to Twist's text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,190 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample