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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. How did Carolyn try to block the nose of the inmates?

2. Who raped Tabatha?

3. Nancy compared herself and the man in #50 as __________________________.

4. Nancy thought of her father as ___________________ from the story he read to her.

5. Who was the man who owned the accounting firm where Nancy had a temp job?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Nancy describe the summer she worked for Isadore?

2. How did Nancy begin her story with a memory of her father and his airplane?

3. What was Wally's reasoning for not being able to refuse Marge Cohen's call to come to York Correctional Institution?

4. What are the two chapters in Carolyn Ann Adams' story, "Thefts" and what does she cover in each?

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

6. What were the circumstances of Nancy's arrest and where did she go after her parents bailed her out?

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

8. How had Wally become a well-known author in America?

9. How did Nancy's family disintegrate and how did Nancy manage being alone with her abusive mother?

10. What did Nancy feel she had to do to keep her boyfriend?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the significance of the book's title. What does Wally Lamb mean by calling it "Couldn't Keep it to Myself"? What was he trying to emphasize with this emphatic style? Suggest three alternate titles for this book with supporting rationale for each one.

Essay Topic 2

The frustration of unfulfilled affection touches several women in the stories. Name at least two women who experience unfulfilled love and the situations that occur as a result.

Essay Topic 3

Hatred takes on an almost human persona in the women's stories. What was the source of much of the hatred? Why was the hatred pervasive? What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

(see the answer keys)

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