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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. H asks George about a photograph in George's mother's study that features what town?

2. What two terms had mysteriously flitted through George's head every time her mother had gotten out her phone during the trip to Italy?

3. In what country does George live?

4. How many screens had George been viewing at once when her mother told her she was "a migrant of [her] own existence" (194)?

5. Which object belonging to George's mother went "missing in the panic and aftermath" (179) of her death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of George's shift away from considering a particular element of language to be very important?

2. For what reason is George unable to find out what songs her mother had danced to during her morning ritual?

3. Describe the conversation George has with Mrs. Rock about her mother's criticism of a certain politician.

4. What does the damage in George's house symbolize?

5. What irony does George note about her father's profession?

6. What timeline does George provide on the first page of the section entitled Eyes and what is its significance?

7. What is the significance of Saint Catherine within the narrative?

8. What location in her bedroom does George take great pains to hide from her father and why?

9. What is the significance of the record album entitled Tell Laura I Love Her?

10. What does George tell her father after he discovers her in the garden engaging in her daily ritual?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a critical essay about the novel How to Be Both while using the critical power theory lens of feminist theory. Use textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the novel's treatment of gender roles, the objectification of women, female empowerment, misogyny's role within society, or any other issues related to feminist theory that can be found in the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the novel How to Be Both from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Smith’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the narrative of How to Be Both.

(see the answer keys)

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