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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 the cage in the basement made out of?

2. Beck is surprised to learn what information about Joe?

3. Why does Benji agree to meet Joe?

4. When Joe first sees Beck, he likens her to which actress?

5. Why is the ladle important to Beck?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened while Joe was being punished by Mr. Mooney?

2. How does Joe dispose of Benji?

3. Who is Spencer Hewitt? What is significant about him?

4. What information does Joe learn while at Beck's fiction reading?

5. How do Joe and Peach get along when they first meet? What does Joe discover inside Peach's house?

6. What happens when Joe escorts Beck home after the night at the bar?

7. How does the trip to IKEA help Joe's relationship with Beck?

8. How does Joe get inside Beck's apartment and what does he do there?

9. What information does Joe learn about Beck after meeting her? How does he learn this information?

10. What special gift does Beck give Joe? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you compare and contrast Joe’s fantasy world with the real one. What similarities do you see? What differences? What impact do Joe’s fantasies have on his behavior in the real world?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Beck and Karen Minty. In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different? How do their similarities and differences highlight the novel’s themes?

Essay Topic 3

What do you think the future has in store for Joe after the close of the novel? Predict the future for Joe based on his thoughts and actions throughout the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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