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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 first name is eventually revealed to have belonged to Francescho's father?

2. When the woman whom Francescho has drawn asks to have the drawing, what condition does Francescho set?

3. Francescho recalls that her mother had always told her to be willing to take what action in relation to her skin?

4. Which objects did Borse give to the creators of his fresco the first time they asked for more money?

5. What action passing between the two people in the museum causes Francescho to be sure that they are siblings?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What is Francescho's attitude toward the painter called Cosmo?

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

5. Characterize Francescho's relationship with the Falcon.

6. What had Francescho's father done for a living and how had Francescho worked under his tutelage?

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

8. In what way is the novel How to Be Both a piece of interactive fiction?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Smith’s messages about guilt and responsibility within How to Be Both. Focus especially on elements such as George’s guilt about the secret action she had taken to separate her mother from her friend Lisa.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the instances of irony within the narrative of How to Be Both and analyze Smith’s purpose for including each instance you discuss.

(see the answer keys)

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