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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 was the film crew on Cape Cod?

2. Although Joan missed her sons after they left the cottage once Memorial Day ended, what did she look forward to regaining?

3. What gift did Joan give her husband at the party?

4. What did Joan conclude while visiting the general store?

5. Where were Joan's oldest son and his wife going for a bike trip once leaving the cottage after Memorial Day?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was ironic about how Joan felt once she arrived on the seal island in Chapter 15, Wild and Salty?

2. To where did Joan ride her bike in Chapter 14, Safe Harbor, and how did she like the experience?

3. Who did Joan Erikson send to stay with Joan and how did Joan feel about having these guests?

4. What evidence was there in Chapter 16, Port of Call, that Joan had grown during her year in Cape Cod?

5. What spiritual lesson did Joan learn from clamming?

6. Did Joan and her husband seem happier or more unhappy at the end of their year-long separation, and did they decide to divorce or reunite?

7. In Chapter 15, Wild and Salty, how did Joan feel about letting her husband move back in with her after he retired and where did she go to think over the prospect?

8. When Joan's husband mentioned retirement at the beginning of Chapter 14, Safe Harbor, how did his idea of retirement differ from Joan's?

9. What symbolism did Joan see in the sandbar?

10. How did Joan ultimately earn the money to fix her broken hot water heater?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The subtitle of "A Year by the Sea" is "Thoughts of An Unfinished Woman." Discuss why you think Joan chose this title. How did she depict herself as being unfinished in the book? Was she "finished" by the end, or was she still "unfinished" at the book's end? Did her definition of unfinished change during the course of the book? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Joan Anderson's relationship with Joan Erickson. What did Joan learn from the older woman? In what ways were the women similar, and in what ways were they different? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the metaphor of the sea and the tide in "A Year by the Sea." How did each phase of the tide relate to Joan and her life? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

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