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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. Who is the Pin Kid?

2. Which character begins self-medicating, taking lots of pills, and sleeping for days at a time?

3. What does Jessica H aspire to be?

4. Who begins acting as the twins' pimp?

5. Who does the twins' pimp threaten to tell about their business?

Short Essay Questions

1. How has Miss Lick gotten the video footage of Miranda?

2. How does Oly's relationship with Miss Lick begin to change in a way that Oly wasn't expecting?

3. What does Norval report the followers are doing to survive, and how does Arty address this issue?

4. Briefly describe what happens when the Bag Man enters the twins' van after becoming engaged to them.

5. What body part does Norval Sanderson gift to Arty, and what are the stories surrounding this body part?

6. How was the Bag Man affected, mentally and physically, by his wife divorcing him?

7. Why did Dr. Phyllis deny the twins what they were asking for?

8. Chapter 19 is more like a scrapbook than typical prose. Name two devices employed, and briefly explain the significance of this unique chapter.

9. Explain Jonathan Tomaini's new role in the twins' adult life.

10. How does Arty react to Oly's pregnancy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The grounds of the Fabulon are integral to the progression of events within the story. In an essay, describe the physical layout of the fairgrounds. Did the Binewski children have a sense of "home" even though they were constantly moving? How do you think this element of security affects Oly when she becomes an adult? Further explore the ways that the constantly moving setting of the fairgrounds acted as machine for the progression of events.

Essay Topic 2

The sick horse that appears on the twins' 14th birthday acts as the machine for many characters to take on new roles in the novel. In an essay, describe the different characters' reactions to seeing the sick horse and the way that either the appearance or the healing of the horse changed the roles of different characters. What does this horse symbolize in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

The twins' 14th birthday is also representative of major changes for the twins. In an essay, describe the changes that occur for the twins and what the twins realize about themselves from these changes. How do these changes affect the twins' "place" within the family?

(see the answer keys)

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