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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 does the group do after Thanksgiving dinner?

2. What is Dicey's reaction when Jeff comes in to the market?

3. What is Millie's comment concerning Gram since the kids showed up?

4. What does the doctor say to Dicey that provokes her anger and grief?

5. What is the outcome of Gram's surprise for Sammy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dicey immediately do the same night Gram gives the advice about letting others help.

2. The home economics teacher Miss Eversleigh gives a short speech about how important it is to know the life skills she is teaching in class. What is Dicey's reaction to the speech?

3. Mina rises to Dicey's defense for two reasons, one of which is she personally likes Dicey. What is the other reason?

4. When Dicey reflects on all that has happened in two days with the quick departure to Boston and all the activity once there, what does dicey realize about herself?

5. What is the principle involved when Sammy flatly refuses to discuss the reason for fighting on the bus?

6. What is it about Gram not telling Dicey any advance information about the trip to Boston or Momma's condition that shows Gram's state of mind?

7. Dicey wants to lean forward and hug Gram when they conclude discussing the report card and Gram says she believes all that Dicey says. Why does Dicey not follow through with a hug?

8. Chapter 7 What is Gram's perspective on the essay, a point of view Dicey had not considered?

9. What does the English teacher comment about Dicey's essay that she refuses to respond to?

10. What does Dicey learn from Mina about Gram that a new person to town most likely would not know for awhile?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Elaborate on the basic theme by citing examples of Dicey wanting to be free of responsibility so she can pursue her own course yet wanting the kids to need her. An example of Dicey's conflicting wants is her rejection of Sammy helping with the boat versus Sammy not telling what is on his mind about school and friends.

Essay Topic 2

Dicey and her siblings made a journey toward the unknown in their summer travels from Massachusetts to Maryland. Once settled and things seem to be known and working out, Gram reverses the journey going from Maryland to Massachusetts and this time not disclosing what is known. Discuss how the two scenarios are the same and how each differs concerning the impact on Dicey.

Essay Topic 3

A recurring theme is the opening up of oneself, letting others get to know you and enter in to your life. The opening up is a process of steps, not a single event. Discuss the author's techniques in using the characters of Jeff and Mina and the deliberate separate steps the process takes for Dicey.

(see the answer keys)

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