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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. Who does Anne count on for support?

2. What fear begins to emerge for Anne where Sam is concerned?

3. In an strange way, Anne is happy to be single so that she does not have what?

4. What do Pammy and her husband struggle with?

5. Who are Rex and Dudu?

Short Essay Questions

1. Name the three sources of angst that fuel Anne's depression.

2. Explain the emotional complications surrounding the legal motions initiated by Sam's father.

3. What does Anne finally admit is her biggest fear for her child?

4. How do Anne and Pammy escape the ominous cloud of Pammy's illness, even if only temporarily?

5. What is revealed about Anne's addictive behavior?

6. What symbolism does Anne find in the way Sam has learned to crawl?

7. Explain the irony of Pammy still taking care of Anne even though Pammy is the one with the terminal illness.

8. How has Sam's arrival influenced Anne's relationship with her mother?

9. Anne's thirty-sixth birthday and her deceased father's birthday complicate Anne's emotional state?

10. What wishes does Anne recall making for Sam on the night he was born?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Even though Anne was not married to Sam's father they did have a relatively strong relationship and it hurt her deeply when he left after the revelation of her pregnancy. Explain the act of abandonment. How does it impact those who are left behind as well as those who leave? Is an abandoned person always expecting to be abandoned again? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the conflict Anne feels about Sam during his colic attacks. Are Anne's feelings normal? Why or why not? What options were available to Anne to relieve the situation? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Explain why, in a life filled with self-absorbed behavior and addictions to substances, one little baby can completely change Anne's world. Is this Anne's first experience with unconditional love? If so, is that why she is so unsure of herself much of the time where Sam is concerned? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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