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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. How long does it take Shannon, Brandy, and Manus to drive from California to Oregon?

2. What does Shannon find in Brandy's Miss Rona book?

3. Where does Shane and Shannon's father take them with his pickup truck in the middle of the night?

4. How does Shannon try to revive her modeling career?

5. Where are Evie and Shannon posing for the modeling shoot?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Brandy propose to Shannon?

2. What is Seth Thomas's true identity?

3. What is the truth about both Shane's and Shannon's accidents?

4. Why does Shane leave home in the first place?

5. Though he has broken into the house with a knife, what does Manus try to tell Shannon?

6. What kind of tasks does Brandy and Shannon's father make them perform as children?

7. Why does Shannon burn Evie's house down?

8. What has "Shane" bought Shannon for Christmas?

9. Why is Shannon shocked to see the picture on the Rhea sister's stereo?

10. What does Shannon leave for the unconscious Brandy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the novel the author makes use of different devices to tell the story. In Shannon's case, many of her feelings are related using the Phantom Photographer, a mechanism that allows the reader to know how she is feeling indirectly. What are the implications of this Phantom Photographer? Why doesn't Shannon simply tell the reader herself what she is feeling? How does viewing her state of mind through a photographer provide insight to her former life as a model as well as her inner self?

Essay Topic 2

The novel explores the idea of attention as an addiction. Is Shannon addicted to attention? Is Brandy? Is Evie or Manus? Why or why not? What instances in the text point you toward a conclusion?

Essay Topic 3

According to Brandy, Shannon is not responsible for the way she acts. We are all products of products of products, and have no real choice in whom we become. How is this idea reflected in the novel? Has Brandy broken out of this cycle or does she consider herself a part of it? How has Shannon attempted to break outside of herself? By the end of the novel, has she accomplished her goals? Why or why not? Be sure to include textual evidence in your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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