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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. When Alex first arrives at Barbra's in Chapter 11, what is Barbra cooking?

2. In Chapter 13, what two lies does Alex tell her father?

3. In Chapter 9, where does Gary buy a plane ticket to?

4. In Chapter 11, what does Alex ask Barbra for in return for Barbra's request of Alex regarding Victor?

5. In Chapter 13, what does Alex tell Victor she does not forgive him for?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 6, what is Sadie upset about concerning her father?

2. In Chapter 12, what does Victor tell Alex and Gary when they are upset after their grandmother's death?

3. In Chapter 12, what does Barbra remember the most about her own father?

4. In Chapter 12, how does Barbra meet Victor for the first time?

5. In Chapter 8, why does Twyla have a Bible in Victor's hospital room?

6. In Chapter 11, what does Alex remember about her mother Barbra's life-long approach to food?

7. In Chapter 2, why is Alex oddly exhilarated by the news of her father's grave illness?

8. In Chapter 12, what prompts Barbra to break off her engagement with Bernie?

9. What unpleasant memory does Avery think of involving Victor in Chapter 4?

10. In Chapter 3, when does Gary realize that something might be seriously wrong in his family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Barbra's mother's, Anya, influence on Alex and Gary as both children and adults? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How do the comments and attitudes from both Barbra and Victor throughout Alex's adolescence concerning both her and other women's bodies affect Alex's own perception of her body and her self-worth? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing how Attenberg uses dark humor - particularly related to death and dying - throughout the novel, particularly to lighten the tone of tense moments. Cite specific references to the text to help support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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