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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 piece of information does David struggle to remember after he suffers a medical emergency?

2. For how long had Nic been sober before relapsing and going missing for an extended period of time?

3. For what reason is Nic reluctant to return to the Bay Area after his branch of the Hazelden closes?

4. Who checks on Nic at Hampshire College at David's behest?

5. About how many people does David say attend the first Al-Anon meeting that he and Karen attend?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way is the theme of hope demonstrated in David's mention of St. Helena Hospital?

2. Discuss Sheff's use of medical diction in order to depict the theme of family bonds.

3. What major medical emergency befalls David Sheff just before Nic's eighteenth birthday?

4. What distinction does Sheff make between blame and accountability?

5. What is the symbolism of Nic's note to Jasper?

6. Discuss Sheff's use of the broken suitcase image to indicate the injured nature of his post-hemorrhage brain.

7. What does Sheff mean when he calls addiction an "equal-opportunity affliction" (177)?

8. For what reason does Sheff warn the parents of addicted children to avoid certain music?

9. What is the main element of twelve-step recovery programs that Nic rejects?

10. How much more likely are addicts to have underlying mental health issues, in relation to the general population?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the theme of family bonds portrayed in David Sheff's memoir Beautiful Boy? Examine Sheff's treatment of and messages regarding family bonds throughout the book.

Essay Topic 2

What is Sheff's message regarding the difference between loving behavior, and enabling or co-dependent behavior, and how does he get this message across to the reader?

Essay Topic 3

What messages does David Sheff's memoir Beautiful Boy send to the audience about the themes of isolation and outreach?

(see the answer keys)

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