View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Adele tells her Wisconsin relatives that ____________________________.

2. How long had Adele been married to her new husband before she decided she wanted a divorce?

3. Where do Adele and Ann stay after leaving the Bel Air Hotel?

4. Who is Lillian's second child?

5. Who is Hisham's new wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author use foreshadowing regarding Ann's discomfort over sharing a bed with her mother?

2. Why is Adele jealous of Ann's burgeoning sexuality?

3. How does Ann try to act like the adult in the relationship with her mother?

4. How does Lillian feel about her husband's job and how is that feeling transmitted to her daughters?

5. Explain how Adele has delusions of grandeur, particularly regarding Lonnie Tishman.

6. How does Adele's mental health come into question regarding how she manages Christmas for Ann and the rest of her family?

7. Explain how Carol and Adele are dissatisfied with their lives and the men in their worlds.

8. What is significant about the last time that Adele abandons Ann by the side of the road?

9. Who is Lonnie Tishman and how does he take advantage of Adele and Ann?

10. How are the Swans' lives comparable to Adele and Ann's life, even though the Swans live in an expensive home in an exclusive are of Los Angeles?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a character study of Adele. What are her physical characteristics? What are her motivations? What are her fears? What are her dreams? What else can you say about Adele?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the ongoing conflict between Carol and Adele. What are the main sources of the conflicts? Why does it perpetuate? What does Carol learn about the reality of Adele's life as opposed to the perceptions Adele has hoped to perpetuate?

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,161 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample