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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 novel is the play The Heiress based on?

2. What gift did the author's mother give to Joan immediately after Bruce's funeral?

3. What does the author describe her father rinsing her with in the bathtub as a child in Chapter 1?

4. Who is the "cultured, dissipated, and penniless European art collector" that the heroine marries in The Portrait of a Lady?

5. The title of Chapter 3, ""That Old Catastrophe," is an allusion to what poem by Wallace Stevens?

Short Essay Questions

1. What literary allusion is tied to lilacs in Chapter 4?

2. What literary allusions does the author make in describing her mother in Chapter 3?

3. What symbolism does the author relate to the obelisk in Chapter 2?

4. How does the author describe her family's trip to Europe in Chapter 3?

5. How would you describe the language style of Fun Home?

6. What does the title of Chapter 2, "A Happy Death" allude to?

7. How does the author describe her parents' first meeting in Chapter 3?

8. How does the author describe her father's love of gardening in Chapter 4?

9. How affectionate does the author describe her family when growing up?

10. How does the author describe her impressions of her father's death in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of family in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. How would you describe the author's relationships within her family? Was/is the Bechdel family affectionate? How did Alison Bechdel's family influence her?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the dream imagery that Bechdel presents in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. How would you describe the images of these dream sequences? What similes, metaphors, and other literary devices are employed in the dream imagery?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the events surrounding Bruce Bechdel's trial in the narrative. What was Bruce Bechdel charged with? By whom was he charged? What was the outcome of the trial? How did the trial affect the author and her family?

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