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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the angry woman at the art show throw at Elaine's paintings?

2. What does Elaine feel like an expert at?

3. What does Elaine find, after Susie calls her urgently for help?

4. What do the people of Mexico leave for the dead that Elaine muses about?

5. How does Cordelia do on her exams?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Elaine believes that she's good at leaving. Discuss the role of leaving in the novel.

1) How does Elaine separate herself from Cordelia and her other friends? What does leaving the situation involve, emotionally, for Elaine?

2) How and why does Elaine leave Josef and Jon? Compare Elaine's acts of leaving her lovers with leaving her former friends.

3) What other things does Elaine leave behind in the novel? When she leaves something behind, what parts of it does she still carry with her? Is leaving a good thing?

Essay Topic 2

The novel is full of imagery of sight, sound, and smell. Discuss the use of imagery in the book.

1) How does Elaine describe the city of Toronto? How do Elaine's descriptions reflect her feelings?

2) How does the imagery of Elaine's paintings relate to the novel and Elaine's life?

3) What imagery is associated with different periods in Elaine's life?

4) Discuss the imagery of blood in the novel. What does the blood from Elaine's self-mutilation symbolize? What about the blood of miscarriages, suicides, and the botched abortion?

Essay Topic 3

Emotional pain in the novel is often linked to physical pain. Discuss the relationship of physical and emotional pain in the novel.

1) Why does Elaine injure her fingers and feet? How is her physical pain linked to emotional pain?

2) Discuss Elaine's experience of physical and emotional pain in times of crisis, such as when she is trapped in the ravine and when she is left in the dark hole.

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