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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 does Cecilia first attempt suicide?

2. There is a rumor that which Lisbon girl has a crush on Dominic Palazzano?

3. Which boy is the only one who has been allowed into the Lisbon home?

4. How many times is Dominic Palazzano mentioned in Cecilia's diary?

5. What is Mr. Lisbon's hobby?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the cemetery where Cecilia's service is held look like?

2. Describe the appearance of Cecilia's diary.

3. What does Peter Sissen find in the Lisbon girls' bathroom?

4. Why were the boys happy that Joe came to the party?

5. What does Cecilia look like in her coffin?

6. How did it happen that Paul Baldino found Cecilia in the bathtub?

7. Who was Dominic Palazzano and what was his part in Cecilia's story?

8. How did the emergency workers retrieve Cecilia's body?

9. How did Cecilia Lisbon die?

10. What do the adult boys discover about Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon after speaking to Mr. Lisbon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Communication--and the lack of it--plays a crucial role in the telling of this story. Please discuss ways in which the Lisbon girls communicate with the outside and with one another, as well as how a lack of communication affects the story.

Essay Topic 2

The Virgin Suicides is full of sexual and religious symbolism. Please choose at least three major symbols and explain their significance to the story and relation to one another, and explain how these two seemingly disparate subjects intertwine.

Essay Topic 3

How does the state of the Lisbon house connect to the rest of the story? What connections can be drawn between the conditions of the house and the condition of the people inside it? How do the people viewing it from the outside respond? The people inside?

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This section contains 708 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample