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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 feeling does Walter bring to Alice's home?

2. What does Florida represent to Alice and mother?

3. What does Mother do that embarrasses Alice when she visits her at the San?

4. How does Nonna react to the straw bag creations of Mother's?

5. What is true about Nonna?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Walter's departure.

2. How does Arthur help to form an image of Mother?

3. Does Uncle Billy love Alice?

4. Describe Alice's friendship with Arthur.

5. Why are the little gifts that Nonna gives to Alice important?

6. How is Arthur's presence during Mother's trip to the San in Part One: Mother-Arthur important?

7. Explain if you believe that Alice is happy living with Aunt Frances and Uncle Billy.

8. Why are Mother's crystal glasses important to Alice?

9. What do you think Alice's family was like before her father's death, based on information in the first chapter of the book?

10. What are Aunt Frances' priorities?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Do you think 15-year-old Alice's behavior of staying out late and being involved with boys is understandable, immoral or risky? Explain your answers to each of these three judgments with evidence from the story and your own personal opinion.

Essay Topic 2

What motivates the greed, if you think they are greedy, of the following characters in the story: Uncle Billy, Alice, Mother, Aunt Frances?

Essay Topic 3

Explain how the following events contributed to Alice's coming of age in the novel.

1) Mother going to the San.

2) Moving to the Big House.

3) Arthur's death.

(see the answer keys)

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