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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 Riccardo show Valeria when they are alone?

2. What does Valeria hug for comfort after Sandro leaves her office?

3. What does Mirella show Valeria, when she calls her mother to her room?

4. When Valeria asks why Sandro has not introduced Mirella to his mother, what is Mirella's explanation?

5. What is Riccardo's treatment of Marina like in front of Valeria?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Valeria remember happening one night when she sat up late with Mirella when she was little?

2. Why does Mirella say she would like to hear that Valeria enjoys her work?

3. What does Clara tell Valeria about Michele's film?

4. Why does Sandro say it is hard for Valeria to understand her daughter?

5. In his letters from Africa, what plans did Michele propose?

6. What does Guido tell Valeria he has been afraid of?

7. Why does Valeria not like Marina?

8. How does Valeria's mother behave at the Easter lunch?

9. What is the film about, that Michele and Valeria see together?

10. What does Valeria say when Michele expresses worry that the threat of war will make the movie producers afraid?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the importance of clothing in the novel. Choose 1-3 examples and discuss their significance within the story.

Essay Topic 2

Is Valeria an unreliable narrator? If so, under what circumstances or regarding which topics or characters do you believe this to be the case?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the idea of friendship in the novel. What does the book teach its readers about friendship, its value, and its limitations?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 760 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample