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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 did Carolyn do with the money she got related to her crime?

2. Who was Nancy's husband?

3. How long had Wally conducted writing sessions with the women at the time he compiled this book?

4. How old was Nancy when she learned how to defend herself from her mother's physical abuse?

5. What was notable about Nancy's family as she was growing up?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Tabatha describe the attic where her family and friends did drugs?

2. How did Tabatha's hair mirror what she was going through in different phases of her life and how did she wear her hair after five years in prison?

3. What was the state of Nancy's parents' relationship and what fears did she live with regarding her family life?

4. What did Carolyn focus on outside while waiting to be processed into the Department of Corrections?

5. How did Nancy view "The Wizard of Oz" once she worked through some psychological issues?

6. What changes did Wally see in the women as they wrote their stories?

7. What was the premise of Nancy Whitely's story, "The True Face of Earth"?

8. Why did Carolyn think that she was so out of place in the holding cell, and how long did it take before she was convicted?

9. Describe how Nancy and Isadore were complete opposites.

10. What did Nancy finally remember that made the flying monkeys such a horrible memory for her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain your opinion of the women's writing styles. Did they deliver information succinctly? How did they develop the personalities? What was the general tone of the stories? What was the most appealing aspect of the women's writing for you? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the impact of intolerance or injustice that some of the women of color experienced. What did it mean to be poor and not white in 20th century America? What stigmas did these women of color live with for their entire lives? Was there anything that could have leveled the racial discrimination playing field? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Overall, do the women's stories end on a note of hope for them or the continuance of struggles to come to terms with flawed relationships, mental illnesses, societal pressures, etc.? Give your perspective and two reasons to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,158 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample