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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. Why does Johnnetta "whip [her]self with guilt"?

2. What is the key to organizing multiple lives at once?

3. According to Mary, when should caretaking be done?

4. Which of the women adopted a daughter named Sarah late in life?

5. Which woman claims to be completely unable to manage multi-tasking?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways does Johnnetta's home define her life?

2. How does Johnnetta feel about the need to divide her time between her private and personal lives?

3. In what way does Mary compare caretaking to music?

4. What type of food did Mary cook for Barkev when they were first married?

5. What does Mary mean when she says that all five of the women in the book are "conservers"?

6. What leads Mary to the statement that all five of the women profiled in the book are "idealists"?

7. What is the main difference between men and women in regards to "multiple lives"?

8. What two metaphors does Mary use to describe her emotions in dealing with the Amherst presidency?

9. What is Mary's definition of wisdom?

10. In what way does Ellen's home define her life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the book, Bateson gives many different examples of ways that individuals care for themselves and those around them. First, define the three different ways one can act as a caregiver, and give examples from the text to support your definitions. Then, choose one woman from the text and explain why you believe she is the best examples of a well-rounded caregiver. What are the benefits of being a good caregiver? What are the downfalls? 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

In the opening chapter of the text, author Mary Catherine Bateson uses various metaphors and similes to express the ways women in today's modern society have been living improvisationally, and how this lifestyle affects society as a whole. Choose two of the metaphors you believe are most poignant in describing an improvisational life and describe how Bateson weaves these metaphors throughout the text. Then, argue why you believe these metaphors accurately depict the life of a modern woman. Be sure to include examples from the text to help strengthen your arguments.

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