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| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Which North American city is Materia desperate to move to after her marriage?
2. How old was Materia when she first met James?
3. How old was Frances at the time of her mother's death?
4. Where does James lock up Materia, after discovering Kathleen's dead body?
5. What is strange about James's reaction to Kathleen striking the piano keys?
Short Essay Questions
1. What is James's reaction to Ambrose's death?
2. What wakes Mercedes up in the middle of the night on the evening before Materia's death?
3. Who is put in charge of raising the family when Materia dies?
4. Why does Materia feel guilty about her expectations for James's future in the army?
5. What is the reaction to Kathleen's talent when she arrives in New York City?
6. What is the Mahmoud family's reaction to Kathleen's death?
7. What did Mercedes think was happening when she watched the incident at the creek?
8. How does life in the Piper household change, once James is deployed?
9. What job does Materia get to help pay for Kathleen's private education?
10. What film stars do the Piper girls idolize?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Throughout Lily's upbringing, she hears lies regarding where she came from and why she is alive, particularly from her older sister Frances. First, describe the web of lies Frances and the rest of the family constructed regarding Lily's heritage. When does Lily begin to realize these stories are fabrications? What is her reaction to this unraveling of truth? Why do you think the Piper family felt it necessary to lie to Lily about her past? Were they trying to protect her, or did they have other, darker motivations in the lies? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen their arguments.
Essay Topic 2
Describe Mercedes' personal ambitions in life. What did she hope would happen to her when she was an adult? In what ways did she work toward those goals? Then, explain what happened to Mercedes when she was an adult. Did her dreams come to fruition? Why or why not? Finally, describe the sacrifice Materia made to ensure that Mercedes have a safe and bright future. In the end, do you think that sacrifice was worth it? Why or why not? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your argument.
Essay Topic 3
Language is large theme in this novel. First, describe Materia's relationship to her mother tongue and the ways she passed this on to her daughters. Then, compare / contrast Kathleen's relationship with her mother tongue to the relationship the rest of the Piper girls have with the language. How does this difference in language represent the maternal difference Materia felt for her various daughters? Finally, describe how the Piper girls kept Materia's mother tongue alive after her death, and what symbolism this language had on their daily lives after her passing. Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.
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This section contains 1,113 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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