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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. How many paintings by Cosmo does Francescho count in the museum room where she sees only one of her own paintings being displayed?

2. How old was Francesco at the time she was commissioned to paint one season of Borse's "painted year" (90)?

3. As Francescho stands in a museum looking at his own work and that of other artists after having traveled in time, what century is it?

4. In what capacity did the boy Francescho called "the pickpocket" (95) go to work for Francescho?

5. Francescho sees the two siblings in the museum taking what action together?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is "the rite of Mnemosyne" (127) and who proposed its use to Francescho?

2. How had Francescho first come to be acquainted with Barto and in what activity did they generally engage when they met thereafter?

3. Discuss an instance when Smith employs modern language to present the voice of Francescho and analyze her purpose for doing so.

4. What insights does Francescho provide into the subversive elements of her artwork?

5. What quality does Francescho "sense" is "central to" the "nature" (84) of the young woman whom she observes throughout the narrative?

6. What name does Francesco's father recommend she take and for what reason does she reject his suggestion?

7. Which element of the fresco in Borse's palace had the Falcon insisted must be changed in order to avoid the wrath of Borse and others?

8. For what reason had Francescho eventually been banned from the brothel in Reggio?

9. Name two themes contained in one quote within the novel's Epigraph section.

10. With whom had Francescho spent her final moments and what is revealed to be the fate of this character?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explicate the theme of family bonds within How to Be Both. What is Smith’s message regarding family and how do you know?

Essay Topic 2

What is the function of H's character within the novel? Discuss the characterization methods used by Smith in depicting H and include in your discussion the reasons that Smith portrays H in these particular ways.

Essay Topic 3

Trace the characterization arc of George’s character throughout the novel How to Be Both. Discuss whether George is a round or flat character and whether George is a static or dynamic character.

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This section contains 1,331 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample