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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 Clara say to Valeria about happiness?

2. What does Riccardo say at dinner that starts an argument with Mirella?

3. When Valeria talks to Mirella after Guido drives her home from the café, where is Sandro?

4. On what occasion does Guido walk Valeria to church?

5. What does Sandro tell Valeria that he possesses?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the children's friends visit, how do they respond to Valeria?

2. Describe Guido and Valeria's walk to San Carlo church.

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

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

5. Why, thinks Valeria, can Michele not really see her anymore?

6. What personal checks does the director ask Valeria to deal with, and how does she react?

7. When does Valeria think her anxiety started? What does she attribute it to?

8. Why does Valeria not like Marina?

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

10. What does Mirella say to Valeria about authority?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the message of the book's conclusion? What lesson or statement does it communicate?

Essay Topic 2

How does Valeria's relationship with her daughter develop over the course of the novel? What do they learn from each other?

Essay Topic 3

Compare the characters of Valeria and Clara. How have societal expectations affected them?

(see the answer keys)

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