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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 was one consistency with all the Christmases that Robin spent in prison?

2. In what U.S. state was Bonnie raised?

3. What did Diane's father steal from the family he had abandoned?

4. Bonnie was sentenced to _________ years in prison.

5. What boy did Diane start to date?

Short Essay Questions

1. When did Brenda Medina realize what her mother's terrible secret was?

2. How did Bonnie's role at the prison change from when she was a new inmate to the present day?

3. How did Robin Cullen begin her story, "Christmas in Prison" with a religious focus regarding the pope?

4. What is the significance of the chapter, "Dancing in Leg Chains"?

5. What memory from her past did Mo'Shay have that made her apprehensive about having sex with Reese?

6. What effect did Barbara think that her incarceration had on her children?

7. How did Barbara say that prison changed her--for both good and bad?

8. To what did Barbara compare puzzle pieces in her life?

9. What did Brenda's mother do to her one night from which her father had to save Brenda and what did her father pray for each night?

10. Who was Reese and how did he enter Mo'Shay's life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Loss seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of loss for the women? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the women's lives? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 964 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample