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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. Why has Anita come to the small town where she grew up?

2. What is the name of Teresa's husband?

3. What is Lazarus House?

4. Jeanine has no success in seducing ____________________.

5. In what field did Anita earn a PhD?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Margot get even with Reuel after his affair with their babysitter and manage to get all the things she had ever wanted in life?

2. Why are the circumstances of Austin's death unclear and what speculation could occur about it?

3. What does an older and divorced Joan learn about Matilda when she returns home to tend to her mother's grave?

4. Who is Matilda and what are the circumstances in which her mother is cruel to Morris?

5. What kind of world does the boat at night represent for Averill, and how does she incorporate the captain into this world?

6. Explain what Averill does every night on board the ship.

7. What story does the captain tell about two sister who once traveled on the ship?

8. Why had Teresa come to Canada and what troubles has she had in her marriage to Reuel?

9. Give some examples of how the author uses the theme of escape in this story.

10. How did Georgia meet Maya and Raymond as well as Hilda and Harvey? What secret does Georgia learn about the marriages of these two couples?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters in the stories who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Loss seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of loss? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 3

What is the overall setting for the stories in the book? Be sure to include geography, time period and any pertinent popular culture events. Why did Munro choose to use these places in the stories?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,507 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample