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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. Which of the following values does Bateson say is "inappropriate in today's constantly changing world"?

2. Where does Jack live?

3. What is the name of Jack's wife?

4. At which hospital did Joan first create an activities program?

5. Which of the women in the book are looking for "symmetrical relationships"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways does Bateson claim she puts her husband's needs before her own?

2. How did Johnnetta use her academic experience to change the definition of what it meant to live "as a black woman"?

3. According to Bateson, what does it mean to have a symmetrical relationship?

4. What conclusion does Mary come to about the success of relationships in academia?

5. What struggles did Mary encounter when interviewing her four friends for this book?

6. In what ways does Bateson use riddles to express the way individuals identify their personal convictions and ideals?

7. How did Johnnetta's relationship with her husband change after they moved to Africa?

8. How did Johnnetta's experiences in Cuba change her opinion of race and society?

9. According to Mary, why did so many male-female relationships in the past fail?

10. What type of family did Mary Catherine Bateson grow up in?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mary uses the poem "The Ode of Imru'u I-Qays" to describe an important point about the lives of modern women. First, summarize the story of "The Ode of Imru-u I-Qays" and explain why Mary chose this poem as her example. Then, argue whether or not this example is still relevant in today's society. In what ways does this poem support and negate from Mary's main theme of "composing a life"? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

All of the women in the novel struggle with their roles as women in the workplace. Choose two women from the text and explain how their gender affects their role in the workplace. In what ways do gender-inequalities keep the women in the book down? In what ways do the women in the book use these inequalities for their advantage? In the end, what message do you think Bateson is sending to young female readers about their value in the workplace? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the book, Mary describes the different ways women must divide their days in order to accomplish everything that needs to be accomplished. First, describe at least four different ways most women must divide their days. How does this division differ from the division of their husbands? What are the benefits of being a mulit-tasker? What are the downfalls? Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

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