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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 is Jo's son?

2. Who is Marsha's pastor?

3. What stew does Marsha make for her family gathering in Part IV?

4. Who is Ricky's new manager?

5. Who is Alec's grandchild's favorite toy?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ben generally get along with Marsha's adult sons?

2. Why does Jo never end up playing her music for Ricky in Part III?

3. What is Val's life like with Mike in Part III?

4. What does the old drunk man at the market say to Mike and the other Neo-Nazis?

5. Why did Pastor Michael dislike Ben when they first met?

6. Who does Vern meet by chance in Part III and how do the two interact?

7. What does Alec end up doing after he loses his job as a typesetter?

8. What does Val think is specifically wrong with her sex life with Mike?

9. How does Ben meet Marsha?

10. What problem does Val's husband Claude struggle with?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are some of the most significant factors that hold Jo back from achieving success as a musician in her own right? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Of the five main characters - Val, Jo, Vern, Alec, and Ben - which one do you think experiences the most significant growth or change over the course of his or her life? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does knowing that Val, Jo, Alec, Vern and Ben have all died as children affect the reader's experience throughout the entirety of the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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