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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. According to the narrator in Chapter 12, Margaret and Mary are among the first to witness the instability of which member of the Galvin family?

2. With whom does John fall in love in Chapter 13?

3. By what name is adult Mary called, as revealed in the prologue?

4. In what state is the boarding school Mary attends in Chapter 23?

5. To whom does Mimi Galvin unburden herself in Chapter 17?

Short Essay Questions

1. What impact did the theory of the schizophrenogenic mother have on families, as explained in Chapter 4?

2. What happens to Michael in Chapter 13? Why does Michael believe these things have happened to him?

3. Who is Daniel Paul Schreber and what does he contribute to the field of psychiatry, as explained in Chapter 2?

4. How is Margaret affected by her home life, as revealed in Chapter 11?

5. Who is Lynn DeLisi and for what does she begin searching in Chapter 18?

6. What happens to Don Galvin while stationed in Canada, as explained in Chapter 5?

7. What traumatic experience begins to happen to Margaret and Mary in Chapter 12? How do they react to this trauma? Why?

8. What happens to Brian in Chapter 16?

9. What is the theory schizophrenogenic mother, as explained in Chapter 4?

10. How does Jim distance himself from his older brother in Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the author’s choice to tell the story of the Galvin family through multiple perspectives. How does viewing the action through the eyes of different individuals affect the story? How would the book be different if the author used single perspective?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay explaining the significance of the title of the book, Hidden Valley Road. How does the title reflect the Galvin family? How does the title reflect the book’s themes? How does the title’s meaning change over the course of the book?

Essay Topic 3

The members of the Galvin family all highlight the idea the past is never truly past. Choose three individuals and explain how each illustrates this idea, using textual evidence to support your claims.

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