1. Where was the author in Europe when she convinced her parents for the right to trade a tank suit for shorts at the beach?
(a) London.
(b) Paris.
(c) Amsterdam.
(d) Cannes.

2. How does the author describe her father's headstone in Chapter 2?
(a) It is a Catholic cross.
(b) It is an obelisk.
(c) It is a Celtic cross.
(d) It is a star.

3. What gift did the author's mother give to Joan immediately after Bruce's funeral?
(a) A ring.
(b) A book.
(c) A bracelet.
(d) A necklace.

4. What was the name of Bruce Bechdel's brother?
(a) Roger.
(b) Jack.
(c) Ed.
(d) Tim.

5. Who is the "smooth-talking fortune hunter" in The Heiress that the author describes in Chapter 3?
(a) Edgar Spency.
(b) William James.
(c) James Waldrop.
(d) Morris Townsend.

Short Answer Questions

1. Consider the following sentence from Chapter 1: "His shame inhabited our house as pervasively and invisibly as the aromatic must of aging mahogany." What literary device is used in this sentence?

2. The author says of her father in Chapter 1, "He used his skillful artifice not to make things, but to make things appear to be" what?

3. How long prior to his death did Bruce Bechdel's wife ask him for a divorce?

4. The author writes in Chapter 1 that "In the circus, acrobatics where one person lies on the floor balancing another are called" what?

5. The title of Chapter 2: "A Happy Death," alludes to a novel written by what author?

(see the answer key)

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