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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 spring activity do the girls not attend as usual?

2. What object appears randomly around the neighborhood, including under windshield wipers and between bicycle spokes?

3. When the boys find Muffie Perry, what is she doing?

4. What is Old Mrs. Karafilis' weekly ritual?

5. Where do the boys wait for the Lisbon girls' signal the night of June 15?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens on Trip Fontaine's vacation in Acapulco that changes his life significantly?

2. What do the boys see when they first look into the Lisbons' home on June 15th?

3. Describe the state of the Lisbon house in Chapter 4.

4. What was the media's first reaction to Cecilia's suicide, and why?

5. Why is Trip so flummoxed by his attraction to Lux?

6. What signs did the Lisbon girls show of rejoining the community?

7. Describe Mary Lisbon's favorite way to pass time during the imprisonment.

8. How did the Lisbons deal with their friends' and neighbors' offers of sympathy?

9. What is Mrs. Lisbon's reaction to Lux's disobedience?

10. What was "The Day of Grieving" and how was it observed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Trip Fontaine is a central character in the Lisbon girls' story, especially Lux's. Compare and contrast his life with that of the Lisbon girls. What is his purpose in the novel? What does he represent to the girls, and to their parents, and to the town as a whole?

Essay Topic 3

One of the major themes of The Virgin Suicides is grief. How do different characters in the novel deal with their grief? Are some ways more effective than others? Why or why not?

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This section contains 843 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample