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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 old is Verena?

2. Plum says that the bariatric surgery will result in her stomach being the size of what object?

3. What types of meetings does Plum attend in the basement of a church?

4. How many fashion magazines are published by Austen Media?

5. Who sends Plum an email while pretending to be a teenage girl in need of help from Kitty?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is ironic about Plum's reaction to her encounter with Janine at the Baptist Diet meeting?

2. What question does Julia ask when she writes to Plum under the guise of being a teenage fan of Kitty's and what is the result of her question?

3. What quality of The Calliope House does Verena say had made her choose it as the location for her feminist collective?

4. What act does Dr. Ormond Brown believe has precipitated the murders of Michael Simmons and Davis Green?

5. What are Plum's mother's feelings regarding Plum's job at Austen Media?

6. What is the significance of the news story about Jayson Fox, the young rap star from Los Angeles?

7. What allusion is being made within the line, "On top of a cabinet, a large orchid was trapped under a bell jar" (85) and what is the author's purpose for using it?

8. What is the author's purpose for including the enormous list of lipstick colors within the narrative?

9. What has always been Plum's dream career?

10. What does Plum mean when she says that it takes her awhile to "fully inhabit" (83) her New York life again after she finishes speaking to her mother on the phone?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Trace the characterization arc of Plum’s character throughout the novel. Discuss whether she is a round or flat character and whether she is a static or dynamic character.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the many instances of irony within the novel's narrative and analyze the author's purpose for including each instance you discuss.

Essay Topic 3

What is the novel's message concerning the link between mental and physical health?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,517 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample