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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. In the days when he is renovating his home, Trillin has this quote above his typewriter.
2. Alice tells her husband that he peaks in which year?
3. In what month and year does Calvin first meet Alice?
4. What is the first thing that strikes Calvin about Alice when he sees her for the first time?
5. What is Alice's mother doing for a living when she meets Alice's father?
Short Essay Questions
1. In chapter three, why does Alice accept the request to be photographed in a fashion issue of a magazine?
2. In chapter one, the reader learns that there is one condolence letter that makes Calvin Trillin laugh. Why?
3. When Calvin Trillin describes the first time he sees Alice in chapter two, what does he say is the first thing that strikes him about her? Is it simply her attractiveness, or something else?
4. In chapter two, Calvin Trillin draws a parallel in the relationship between the novelist Dick Francis and his late wife Mary and Trillin's own marriage to Alice. Explain.
5. In what ways do you think Alice serves as Calvin Trillin's muse? Include characteristics that inspire his writing.
6. What does Alice keep in her Important Things envelope? Why are the things inside it so important to her?
7. Chapter three contains two humorous poems about Alice. What theme do they share?
8. Describe Calvin Trillin's father-in-law.
9. In what ways is Alice's beauty a hardship?
10. According to Calvin Trillin, Alice's beauty gives her some advantages. Explain.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Write an essay in which you discuss the Trillin family mottos of "Pull Up Your Socks" and "No Kvetching". What do these mottos say about their values? In what ways does Alice live her life in accordance with these mottos?
Essay Topic 2
Is About Alice a life-affirming memoir? Why or why not? Cite examples from the book in your response.
Essay Topic 3
Write about the messages in this memoir about parenting.
Part 1) Does Calvin Trillin agree with his wife Alice about the importance of attending their children's school plays and eating dinner together? Why or why not?
Part 2) To what extent does Alice's parenting style differ from that of her husband?
Part 3) Why does Trilllin spend so much time on the subject of parenting in About Alice?
Part 4) Trillin provides brief glimpses into the points of view of Abigail and Sarah. What do their statements say about the parenting they receive?
Cite examples from the book in your response.
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This section contains 1,109 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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