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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. At what time of day does Plum say she usually "slips into despair" (12) each day?

2. Why does Plum turn down Carmen's invitation to join Carmen and her girlfriend for dinner?

3. How many teenage girls' email addresses does Plum have as a result of her position at Austen Media?

4. Where does Plum keep her clothes that fit?

5. What is the only color of clothes Plum wears at the time of the novel's beginning?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. Discuss the difference between Alicia and Plum at the start of the novel.

3. What information does Julia reveal about Leeta during her first meeting with Plum?

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

5. How does the motif of the italicized word "Burst!" (42) coincide with the theme of self-hatred?

6. How does the author portray Eulayla Baptist's husband Allen as playing a major role in her torturous weight loss plan?

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

8. 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?

9. What is the significance of Leeta's name?

10. The night before the murders of Michael Simmons and Davis Green, Dr. Ormond Brown receives an email. What does the email contain and what is the author's implication about who has sent it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the topic of discovery treated within the novel and how does its treatment relate to the book's repeated allusions to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Plum's feelings about finally letting go of Alicia and all that she represents. What message is the author sending about change and about one other theme of your choice?

Essay Topic 3

Explicate the theme of indoctrination within the novel, particularly in relation to the novel's protagonist. What is the author's message regarding societal indoctrination and how do you know?

(see the answer keys)

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