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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. When did President Nixon resign as a result of the Watergate scandal?

2. How frequently do locusts appear and swarm?

3. What author does Bechdel recall reading regarding her obsessive-compulsive disorder when she was a child?

4. Over what mountains does the author describe her sunrise rising as a child in Chapter 5?

5. What month was it when the author finally told her mother that she'd started her period?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author go into depth regarding the geography of her hometown in Chapter 5?

2. What does the author describe her mother discovering on an audio tape in Chapter 5?

3. What does Bechdel write regarding the trial of Oscar Wilde in Chapter 6?

4. What is revealed of Bruce Bechdel's obituary in Chapter 5?

5. With whom did Alison Bechdel and her brothers go to stay for several days in Chapter 6? Why?

6. Describe the dream in the beginning of Chapter 5. What symbolism can be seen in the dream?

7. How did the author respond when she began menstruating in Chapter 6?

8. What does the title of Chapter 5, "The Canary-Colored Caravan of Death" allude to?

9. Why does the author say that her family witnessed lots of sunrises in 1974?

10. What symbolism can be seen in the fallen trees in Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of homosexuality in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. How does the author develop this theme through setting, characterization, action, symbolism, and imagery? How does the author describe coming to terms with her homosexuality? How does she relate to her father's homosexuality?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the style of the illustrations in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. What colors predominate the images? Why do you think these colors were chosen? How do the pictures in the book help the reader relate to the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of shame and tragedy in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. What are the tragic elements of the narrative? How is shame symbolized in the memoir? Would you say that the ending of the book is tragic? Why or why not?

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