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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 type of professional does Raymond encourage Eleanor to see?

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

3. Why does Eleanor mother’s say she is calling?

4. Who died in the fire started by Eleanor’s mother?

5. What does Eleanor experience during therapy, after admitting out loud that she is not like her mother?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When Eleanor is under the table and intoxicated, she says that she has only two choices. What are those two choices?

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

4. What happens the day of the musician’s big show that leads Eleanor to believe it was a bad omen and why?

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

6. What is the signficance of Eleanor saying she is "fine" at the end of the novel?

7. What is the overall tone at the end of the novel?

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

9. Why does Eleanor feel so much pressure to find a suitable boyfriend, according to the phone conversation with her mother?

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

Eleanor experiences both physical and emotional changes throughout the novel. In what ways does Eleanor change and in what ways does Eleanor remain the same? How do these changes reflect her emotional healing?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay explaining Eleanor’s attitude toward people and relationships. Include how and why her attitude changes throughout the narrative.

Essay Topic 3

Eleanor and Raymond develop a close relationship. Analyze whether their relationship is more platonic or romantic.

(see the answer keys)

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