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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 the hospital, what is David treated for?

2. Who is Petrus?

3. While one charge against David has to do with misconduct involving Melanie, what does the other charge have to do with?

4. What is one intention of Melanie's that David learns from the phone call that he receives shortly before giving the exam?

5. On the way home, what does Lucy accuse her father of?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does David's opinion of Bev Shaw diminish what one might expect of someone who is a college professor?

2. After Melanie's boyfriend confronts David in his office, he comes to class with Melanie. What is his purpose for this visit?

3. At David's hearing, what are the two charges to which he pleads guilty?

4. When pressed by his colleagues to offer an explanation for his behavior with Melanie, what explanation does David offer?

5. Although David ultimately agrees to volunteer to work for Bev Shaw, what is his first reason for not wanting to work as a volunteer?

6. At the end of Chapter 2, David suggests Melanie stay and quotes poetry. What is it that makes Melanie's demeanor change at this moment?

7. When David puts on soft music and offers wine, he describes this as a ritual. What is this a ritual for?

8. When Melanie's boyfriend is in the class, the other students are even quieter than they usually are. How might one interpret this silence?

9. What is it about Soraya's character does David find appealing?

10. David describes Melanie as "clever enough, but unengaged." What might the attraction to such a person suggest about David?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 1, the reader meets Soraya and in Chapter 2, the reader meets Melanie. Compare and contrast these two women. What do they have in common? What are their differences?

Essay Topic 2

What is it that brings about the ethical and moral transformation of David in Chapter 14? Is this transformation the result of his experiences and trauma of the violent attack or is he "replacing" the vitality that Lucy lost?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 11, review David's insistence that "scapegoating" does not accurately describe the actions taken against him. Why does he feel this is incorrect? How does he correct Lucy as to his actions involving Melanie?

(see the answer keys)

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