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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. Who eventually leads Lurie back to Jolly?

2. What does Josie tell Nora about the beast she saw?

3. How does Mico die?

4. What does the doctor Lurie pays to see Burke offer Lurie for Burke?

5. What does Josie tell Nora about Gramma in Part III that Nora does not believe?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part IV, why does Nora feel guilty for having taken so long to go look for Josie?

2. In Part III, how does Shaw die?

3. Why does Josie seem to take such a long time getting ready to pick berries in Part IV?

4. What does Doc Almenara propose to Nora in Part III when he visits her house?

5. In Part III, how does Mico die?

6. In Part III, what does Nora overhear her husband telling her two older sons that hurts her feelings?

7. In Part III, why does Jolly ask Lurie to strike him in the jaw, but not too hard?

8. How does Lurie feel after telling the writer much of his life story in Part IV?

9. In Part III, why does Nora grow uneasy letting the old Indian woman hold Evelyn?

10. Who does Duena Maria lead Lurie and Burke to, almost impossibly?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the symbolism of Donovan's canteen, and of the visions Lurie sees in it. Cite specific references to the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

In the section titled Afternoon, what do you think Obreht is trying to convey through Lurie's conversations with the writer, who painstakingly records Lurie's stories but dies shortly thereafter? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Nora is much more open to the idea that Josie's ability to communicate with the spirit world could be legitimate and true at the end of the novel than she is at the beginning? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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