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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 lives does Joan believe she leads?

2. When Joan looks in the photograph album, what is wrong with the photos of her father?

3. What performance does Joan remember?

4. What does Joan buy in Rome?

5. What does Joan believe about her marriage?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Joan like to go to the movies with her Aunt Lou?

2. How does Joan use her personal fears and concerns within the plot of the novel she is writing?

3. Who does Leda Sprott see standing behind Joan at the Spiritualists' meeting?

4. Describe Leda Sprott's appearance and her significance at Joan's wedding.

5. Describe Joan's search for a fresh approach to her writing.

6. Why does Joan find it difficult to write when Arthur is depressed?

7. Why is Joan's childhood ballet recital such a traumatic experience for her?

8. Describe Joan's first encounter with Arthur.

9. How does Joan see her father differently after she returns home for the funeral?

10. How does Joan allow Paul to treat her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Joan understands that she is an "escape artist" and that she is happiest when she is in danger. Discuss several instances in the novel when Joan is at her best when in danger. How does her personality change?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the character of Joan's father. What is her relationship with her father and what is his influence on her as a child?

Essay Topic 3

At the end of Lady Oracle, Joan says she will stop writing romance novels and instead write Science Fiction. Why do you think Joan wants to stop writing romances? Do you think writing romances contributes to Joan's dishonesty? Would she write a good Science Fiction tale? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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