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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. What meal did Grandma Moore insist on eating rather than eating Pete's roadside gumbo?

2. Which of the following Karr family members refused to evacuate the home when a hurricane rolled through?

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

4. During what month of the year were the construction projects in the Karr family home complete, allowing for Grandma Moore to finally move in?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. What happened when Hector and Pete met face-to-face in Texas?

3. What relationship did Mary have with her grandmother when the pair was living together during Mary's childhood?

4. What happened while Mary was reading the book Charlotte's Web while staying home sick from school?

5. What was Pete's condition like when he was recovering in the hospital from his stroke?

6. Who was Bumper, and what happened to him when Pete was admitted into the hospital?

7. What major event took place in Mary's life while driving to the World's Fair in Seattle?

8. Where was Mary when she was sexually assaulted, and what was her reaction to the event?

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

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

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

Throughout her time working at and owning the bar, Charlie meets and introduces her daughters to various men. First, describe Gordon, and man who becomes increasingly important in Charlie's life after she buys the bar. Then, compare / contrast Gordon's involvement with the family to Joey's involvement with the family. How do these men take on roles of responsibility within the Karr home. What benefit does Mary receive from having this revolving door of men in her life? What danger is she put in? In the end, is the introduction of these men more of a positive or negative experience in Mary's life? How can you tell?

Essay Topic 3

Around Mary's tenth birthday, Pete and Charlie begin to struggle for power in their relationship, a conflict that comes out in various ways in the relationship. First, explain how Pete attempts to exert his power in the relationship and compare / contrast that to the way Charlie attempts to exert her power in the relationship. What is the same about their struggles for power? What is different? What is the effect of this power struggle on the maturity of the children in the house? Be sure to include at least two scenes from the memoir to strengthen your arguments.

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