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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 think might be some mammalian thing?

2. What has Eleanor learned is something to worry about?

3. Who pays Eleanor an unexpected visit?

4. When Eleanor increases her therapy sessions, how often does she attend them?

5. Who does Eleanor say is the man who will change her life?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Eleanor call her mother when speaking to Raymond at the end of the novel, and why does she use this term?

2. What does Maria say to Eleanor when she is struggling to process her memories and feeling frustrated?

3. How do Raymond and Eleanor bond after Sammy's funeral?

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

5. Why do the flowers on Eleanor’s work desk mean so much to her?

6. What does Eleanor say to Maria in a moment of anger?

7. How does Eleanor react when she wears her new outfit to work and gets attention from her co-workers?

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

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

10. What does Eleanor say about therapy and her healing at the end of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The story is told entirely from Eleanor’s perspective. Analyze the author’s choice to tell the story from Eleanor’s point of view. How does viewing the events from Eleanor’s point of view affect the plot?

Essay Topic 2

Every Wednesday Eleanor would talk with her dead mother. Analyze whether Eleanor knew her mother was dead or not for all those years. How does this information affect the reader’s ability to empathize with Eleanor?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring how Eleanor’s relationship with her mother changes throughout the novel.

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