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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. How old was Mikey when he found out that Kate was a lesbian?

2. What is the name of Silas's father?

3. Why does Silas fear that Lydia is going into shock?

4. Which of the following seems to be Kate's greatest concern when she secretly meets with Mikey?

5. Which of the following adjectives does Silas use to describe his son's behavior?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mikey feel about reading his mother's diary?

2. What two revelations does Lydia make when the letter arrives to her from Martha in Toronto.

3. How does Mikey come to find himself in possession of his mother's diary?

4. How does the Ali family react to Silas's seizure?

5. What family arrives at Lydia's hospital bedside, and how do they get there?

6. What is "Playing Gandhi"?

7. Why does Lydia have to stay as long as she does in the hospital, and how does she pass her days there?

8. Why is Lydia frustrated with Mikey when she returns from the hospital, and what is his reaction to her frustration?

9. How does Kate react to Mikey while she is staying with him?

10. What does Silas think about as he is driving home from the hospital after refusing medical care?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Silas's fiftieth birthday party proves to be the moment when the entire Ali family realizes that their bonds have completely disintegrated. Explain the events of the night of Silas's birthday party, and the reactions that each family member, Silas, Lydia, and Mikey, has to each of these events, and how they know their family never will be the same again.

Essay Topic 2

At the end of the novel, both Lydia and Michael have left their hometown to relocate from their memories of Du Boise. Explain why each of these characters has chosen a life on the run, rather than a settled life. Then, explain what measures each character takes to ensure that Silas will never be able to find them.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Silas's two work friends, Kate and Julian, have a large effect on the problems that happen in the Ali family. Briefly describe both Kate and Julian's characters as well as their relationships to Silas. Then, give one example for the ways each of these characters irrevocably change the relationships in the Ali family, leading toward their inevitable demise.

(see the answer keys)

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