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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 circles the compound of the Retreat?

2. What does Alex dream the bullets hitting his house are?

3. How old was Nona when her father first committed incest with her?

4. What kind of car drove away from the crime scene at Alex's home as evidenced by the tire tracks?

5. Who is Nona's real father?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is strange about the bookshelf in Matthias' room?

2. What does Alex think about as he tries to fall asleep on his first night in the Bel-Air Hotel?

3. Why is Alex particularly concerned about Ricky Moody following the death of Richard Moody?

4. What is significant about the back road Alex notices on the county map in the La Vista police station?

5. When Milo tells Alex that he will pursue the Swopes case after he's done with the rapist's case, why do his words chill Alex?

6. Why does Alex say he "craved the balm of denial" as he is leaving the Touch's Retreat?

7. Who does Nona say took Woody from the hospital and why?

8. What is Alex's initial impression of the Touch's Retreat?

9. Why does Alex decide that Sheriff Houten isn't the right person for him to go to in order to get straight answers about the Swopes?

10. Why does Alex decide to follow the car he encounters as he leaves the Retreat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the Swopes' greenhouse reflect the family itself? What similarities does it have to the goings on in the family?

Essay Topic 2

How is Augie's perspective on the events at the hospital unique? What makes him able to see things in a different way than other doctors? What about him is so difficult for Raoul to deal with? Why doesn't Raoul fire him?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss determination as a motif of the novel. Which characters exhibit determination and what are they determined to do? How does determination fit as a motif of the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 822 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample