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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 Eleanor feel like after Raymond hugs her?

2. Why does Eleanor sing the hymns so loudly at the funeral?

3. According to her therapist, who is the person with whom Eleanor has been trying to connect?

4. What type of shoes does Eleanor buy at the department store?

5. How does Eleanor describe her mother’s tone?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Eleanor first react to her therapist, Maria Temple, and does her reaction change?

2. What does Eleanor remember about Marianne, while she is talking with Raymond in the cafe?

3. Why does Eleanor decide to tell Raymond about Marianne and the fire?

4. How does Eleanor respond when she unexpectedly runs into Laura?

5. In what ways does Eleanor seem like a stronger person by the end of the novel?

6. Why does Eleanor tell Raymond she is a survivor and why is this signficant?

7. Why does Eleanor decide to accept Raymond's help?

8. What does Raymond do for Eleanor, after her alcohol binge, that is so kind?

9. What sort of relationship does Eleanor have to her cat Glen and why is this significant?

10. What kind gesture does Eleanor offer toward Raymond when they part ways after Eleanor learns the truth about her mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Healing from mental illness is at the heart of this novel. Analyze how the author develops and strengthens the theme of healing through the plot and characters.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Eleanor’s relationship with her cat Glen. What important lessons and skills does she learn from Glen? What impact does Glen have on her life?

Essay Topic 3

Eleanor is a survivor. Analyze how the author uses the character of Eleanor to develop the theme of survival.

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