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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. In Chapter 10, Tara says of her mother, "I wanted to run to her and stroke her hair and tell her it was only" what?

2. Who gets sick of Tara's counting cracks and causes a rift between the two in Chapter 9?

3. Who confronts Tara about her eccentric behavior in Chapter 4?

4. Tara's mother gets a note from her teacher accusing Tara of not paying attention when she is comforting herself by doing what in Chapter 3?

5. What is the name of Tara's little sister?

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss the emotion in Chapter 9 between Tara and Keesha. How does Tara react to pushing her friend?

2. How does Tara describe her relationship to religion in Chapter 2?

3. What does Tara reveal to Donna about herself in Chapter 12? What is Donna's reaction?

4. What takes place at the carnival in Chapter 10?

5. How have Tara's relationships with her friends changed by seventh grade?

6. What is tragic about the image that Tara projects about herself versus the reality in Chapter 3?

7. What is Tara's response when confronted about her behavior by a friend in Chapter 4? How do her friends react?

8. How are the relationships between Tara and her friends described in Chapter 7?

9. What leads up to Tara's stealing in Chapter 12? What does she do after stealing?

10. How does Tara come to feel about Keesha in Chapter 5? Why? What does this evolve into?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze Tara Sullivan as the protagonist of "Kissing Doorknobs". How old is Tara in Chapter 1? What can be discerned about her personality? How does Tara evolve and grow as a character throughout the narrative? How old is Tara at the end of the book?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss intrusive thoughts as symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. How are intrusive thoughts defined? How are these symptomatic of OCD? How do intrusive thoughts differ from things like a passing crush or worry about a test? What are examples of intrusive thoughts in Tara's character?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss both religious allusion and the narrative voice in the novel. Is the novel written in present or past tense? From whose point of view? What religion is Tara? How does she feel about her religion? Why does Tara find solace in religion?

(see the answer keys)

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