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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. Which of the following snacks did Mary typically eat while at the Liars' Club meetings?

2. Which lunch does Mary remember most loving as a child, remembering how the construction worker men ate the meal with reverence?

3. What war was Robert returning home from when he decided to commit suicide?

4. To which meat product did Mary compare Grandma Moore's disfigured body?

5. Whom did Charlie call on the phone after threatening to harm her daughters?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did both Charlie and Pete deliver the news to their daughters that they were getting a divorce?

2. How did Mary feel after her mother served her her first alcoholic beverage?

3. What traumatic event occurred while Mary and her family were driving from Leechfied to Lubbock in the hopes of outrunning the storm?

4. In what ways did Mary try to care for her father when he came to live with the family after being released from the hospital?

5. What was the truth behind Tex and Belinda, as Charlie told the story?

6. What was Lecia's reaction to the news that Grandma Moore had died?

7. How did Lecia react when her mother threatened to shoot Hector in front of her?

8. What led up to the fight between Charlie and Pete on Mary's tenth birthday?

9. How did the Karr family cope when they were all struck with insomnia at the same time?

10. How did Mary initially feel about Antelope when she and her family first moved there?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout her childhood, Mary is frequently asked to choose between her mother and her father. First, explain why the rift between Mary's parents requires Mary to take on such a role of responsibility, and explain Mary's reaction to this responsibility. Then, give at least two examples from the text of times when Mary was forced to choose between her parents. What was the context of this decision? Whom did Mary choose? In the end, did Mary believe she had made the right choice? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

One of the main issues Mary struggled with throughout her childhood was feeling competitive with her sister, Lecia. First, explain the relationship between Mary and Lecia in their early childhood. What elements of their personalities were pitted against each other for competition? Then, explain how the relationship between Mary and Lecia changed when their mother was committed. How did the competitive nature of the relationship between the two sister alter once their mother was no longer in the home? Be sure to include at least two examples of scenes from the memoir to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

The Karr family's move to Colorado signals a real change in the relationship between Charlie and Pete. First, explain why the family decided to move to Colorado in the first place. Then, describe how this motivation signals a shift in the balance of power between Charlie and Pete. How do you see this relationship change carry out through the family's time in Colorado? Be sure to include at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe help strengthen your argument.

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