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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 does Claire do that upsets James when he comes over to her parents' home?

2. What does James ask Claire when he calls?

3. What does Claire decide regarding her marriage?

4. At what time do Claire and James agree to meet?

5. Who is Judy's boyfriend?

Short Essay Questions

1. What news does James reveal to Claire at the restaurant?

2. What is Claire's overall demeanor when James arrives at her parents' home?

3. What does Claire learn about James' true feelings for her from James' business partner, George?

4. How does Claire bewilder James in their meeting at her parents' home?

5. Why does Claire not feel happy about going back to James?

6. Why does Claire want to talk to Adam before she returns to London?

7. How does Claire's fluctuating self esteem have her second-guessing herself as a person?

8. How does Claire shock her mother in Chapter 23?

9. What does Claire think about as she anticipates James' upcoming telephone call?

10. What is the nature of Claire and Adam's relationship as the novel ends?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a character study of James. What are his physical characteristics? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What are his dreams? What else can you say about James?

Essay Topic 2

Project into the future ten years after the end of the novel and write a brief synopsis for Claire's life. Will Adam still be such a powerful presence in her life? What kind of child is Kate? What role does James play in Claire and Kate's lives? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the role of the family in WATERMELON. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the family evolve in its support of each other? How typical is this family to most Irish families living during the 1990s?

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