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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. Why does Nadereh ask Kathy to write the things she has told her during their visit?

2. Why doesn't Kathy explain the house situation to Frank?

3. What is it about the Orion Room that makes Kathy dizzy?

4. Where do Kathy and Lester spend the night together?

5. Who does Nadereh think Kathy is when she first meets her?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Kathy feel about her drinking when she is in the motel with Lester, and why is it important to the story?

2. Why does Behrani say that he is not a man of faith?

3. Why does Kathy say she feels like a witch waiting for her brew to take effect?

4. Why is Kathy surprised when the officers come to evict her from her home?

5. When Kathy explains her need to keep the house to Nadereh, what is Nadereh's concern?

6. How is Kathy like Behrani in her outlook on life?

7. When Behrani visualizes their happy future in America, his imagination goes beyond reality. What does he visualize that will never be possible?

8. What happens to Kathy's Enemy Voice the last time she spends time with a married man?

9. In the first meeting between Behrani and Kathy, what does he advise her to do?

10. Do you think Lester's advice to Kathy when he helps her after the eviction is correct?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One definition of addiction is behavior that we continue even when we get negative consequences or when we know our actions are bad for us. When Kathy is waiting for something to happen, rather than taking action, she watches movies back to back, often without remembering what she has watched. Are movies another addiction for her? Can things that are not chemical be addictive? List Kathy's addictions and discuss the effect they have on her life.

Essay Topic 2

Uniforms have a big effect on characters in this story. Perhaps even Kathy's way of dressing is a uniform of sorts, designed to create a specific impression on the men who look at her. Using quotations from the story, discuss the effect of Behrani's uniform, Lester's uniform, or Kathy's mode of dress on themselves and the other characters.

Essay Topic 3

Main characters in this story reach a point where each feels that he is through with lies and deception. Analyze the importance of deception in this story. What does each of the men pretend to be that he is not? What do you think Dubus is trying to teach us about lies?

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