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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 does Patty give to Frannie when she meets her?

2. What became rare between Frannie and Bobby?

3. How old is Robert?

4. What job does Beth get?

5. Where does Frannie first meet Patty Bancroft?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Robert befriend as soon as they move into the duplex?

2. What does Frannie decide for her new life with a new identity?

3. Why are Frannie and Robert waiting at a train station in Philadelphia?

4. What details does Beth have to drill into Robert prior to his going to school?

5. How does Frannie learn her new identity?

6. Who is Patty Bancroft and why does she do the work she does?

7. What is the nature of Beth's encounter with Mike Riordan in the grocery store?

8. What does Frannie recall about the first time Bobby hit her?

9. What is the reason that Frannie has finally decided to leave her abusive husband?

10. What is Frannie's new identity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Fear seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of fear? Why does it have such a prevalent place in Beth's life? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 2

Does Quindlen end the story on a note of hope for Beth or the continuance of her struggle to come to terms with her flawed relationship with Bobby? Give your perspective and two reasons to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of women in America in the 1990s when the women in the novel are living their lives. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not?

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