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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Elaine feel when she leaves the retrospective for the studio?

2. Why did Cordelia dig holes in the yard when she was young?

3. How does Elaine try to kill herself?

4. What time of year is it when Elaine has her art retrospective?

5. Who does Elaine think of seeing, when she goes to meet the attendees at the art retrospective?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Elaine is drawn to religion but also rejects it. Discuss the importance and meaning of religion in the novel.

1) What is Grace's mother's attitude to religion? How do her values affect her children?

2) Why does Elaine choose hell over forgiving Grace's mother? How does she perceive God? Why does she seek out different churches as an adult?

3) Why does Elaine embrace the Virgin Mary as an alternative to God? What does the Virgin Mary that Elaine visits in Mexico mean to her?

4) What is the meaning of Elaine's vision of the Virgin Mary when she is in the icy ravine?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the use of point of view in the book.

1) Why is this book told in the first person, from Elaine's point of view? How would it be different if it were told by a different narrator?

2) Does Elaine provide an accurate account of the world around her? How is her view of the world biased or flawed?

3) What would the reader gain from understanding Cordelia's perspective, or the perspective of another character?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the significance of Elaine's art retrospective.

1) How does the art retrospective make Elaine look back on her life? How is her artwork related to the progression of her life?

2) How does Elaine feel about the art retrospective, and why does she feel this way? How does she feel about her paintings and about her career as an artist?

3) Why does Elaine want her pictures presented chronologically?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 360 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample