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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 did Joan find workmen doing at her cottage upon her return from the general store?

2. How long was the film crew on Cape Cod?

3. What kind of perfume did Joan wear to greet her husband in the final chapter of the book?

4. While riding her bicycle in Chapter 14, Safe Harbor, with whom did Joan wonder if she could ever share a bike ride?

5. In Chapter 11, Ebb and Flow, who came to Cape Cod to shoot a film?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Joan give her husband for his retirement, and what did her gift symbolize?

2. In Chapter 12, Low Tide, how did reflecting upon the women in her family inspire Joan?

3. Why did Joan's nephew send guests to stay with Joan, and how did Joan feel about being part of her nephew's project?

4. What evidence in Chapter 16, Port of Call, indicated that Joan's husband had grown and changed during their separation?

5. 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?

6. What truths about her life were revealed to Joan during her trip to the seal island in Chapter 15, Wild and Salty?

7. How did a sign in front of the Methodist Church make Joan reflect upon her marriage?

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

9. Who was Hazel, and why did she come to visit Joan?

10. What did Joan take with her to the seal island in Chapter 15, Wild and Salty, and how did what she took on this trip show her growth since her initial trip to the island?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Joan's relationship with her sons and their wives. What parallels did Joan see between her marriage and her sons' marriages? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Joan Anderson's technique of using epigraphs to introduce each chapter in "A Year by the Sea." How did the epigraphs relate to the titles of each chapter? How did the epigraphs relate to the content of each chapter? How did the epigraphs relate to Joan and her life?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Joan Erickson, Hazel, and Joan's daughters-in-laws. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

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