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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 word from Chapter 5 means self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness?

2. How old was the author when her "actual obsessive-compulsive disorder began"?

3. What food item from her mother's play does the author describe her family eating all summer in Chapter 6?

4. The author compares the Appalachian ridges of her region with what Roman defense fortification in Chapter 5?

5. On what day does the author describe her father's hearing in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author describe the changes in her diary in Chapter 6?

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

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

4. Why did Bruce Bechdel tell his daughter he was going to Danville in Chapter 6?

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

6. What is described in the police report that the author illustrates in Chapter 6?

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

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

9. What did the author learn about obsessive-compulsive disorder from reading Dr. Spock?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What major facts does the author establish in the beginning of the narrative? How does she establish the setting and relationships within her family? How are these important plot points revealed to the reader?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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