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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. Which name does Greta choose for herself when she lies to Flavia?

2. Why did Sabine’s father visit Greta?

3. What drink does Greta offer Nicole and Ryan?

4. What does Sabine call the side of the house where she conducts business?

5. What was Rob doing when she met Greta?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Big Swiss have dinner with Keith?

2. Why does Greta prefer to visit the dog park in the afternoon?

3. Why does Greta feel bad for Jelly Roll?

4. What things is Greta afraid of?

5. How did Greta react to the death of her boss, Hopper?

6. Why was Greta engaged to Stacy for so long?

7. What is Greta's first impression of Big Swiss?

8. How did Greta experience a “second childhood”?

9. What was "Authentic Movement" in Flavia's childhood?

10. What reason does Greta give Flavia for leaving Stacy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jen Beagin chose a third-person narration style for Big Swiss. Analyze the impact of this perspective on the plot and your understanding of the characters. Was this technique effective? Explain why or why not.

Essay Topic 2

Readers might describe the book's tone as uncomfortable, dark, or even funny. Describe the tone of Big Swiss from your perspective. As you assess the book's tone, consider the author's diction in contributing to this theme's presence in the novel. Point out at least three specific pieces of evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Many chapters in Big Swiss include transcripts of therapy sessions. In fact, some chapters consist mainly of transcripts. Analyze the author's choice to use this technique. What do the transcripts add? Do the transcripts impact the plot? Do you think that the transcripts leave out important information? Explain your answer with textual evidence.

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