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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 kind of company does Dottie's brother run?

2. The "Mumford boy" that Mary married had a father who was rich in what business?

3. With whom did Mary's first husband have an affair?

4. What does Vicky say they call her at work in Chapter 6, "Sister"?

5. Who does Angelina say Patty Nicely is now seeing in Chapter 5, "Mississippi Mary"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Mary's backstory in Chapter 5, "Mississippi Mary"? How has she come to her current situation?

2. Why is the story of Kathy Nicely significant in Chapter 5, "Mississippi Mary"?

3. What are the circumstances of Lucy's departure in Chapter 6, "Sister"?

4. How would you describe the relationship between Vicky and Lucy Barton?

5. What truths of Annie's father and Charlene's father are revealed in Chapter 8, "Snow-Blind"?

6. What does the reader learn about Charlie Macauley in Chapter 5, "Mississippi Mary"?

7. What does Dottie tell Dr. Small as he checks out in Chapter 7, "Dottie's Bed and Breakfast"? How does he respond?

8. How is Annie Appleby described as a child in Chapter 8, "Snow-Blind"?

9. How did Annie Appleby's success come about?

10. What is the setting for Chapter 5, "Mississippi Mary"? Why is this setting significant?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the character of Lila Lane in "Windmills." What are the motivations of this character? Who are her relatives and what can be discerned of her relationships within her family? What actions does Lila take in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the character of Lucy Barton in Anything Is Possible. How is Lucy's character further explored than in the previous novel, My Name is Lucy Barton? How does Lucy feel about her past and her family? What happens when she appears in "Sister"?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's use of irony in Anything Is Possible. What are examples of verbal irony in the stories of the collection? What situational irony appears in these stories? What are examples of dramatic irony, particularly in the story "Cracked"?

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