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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Lisa Shilling sometimes speaks with what kind of an affected accent?
(a) French.
(b) Australian.
(c) Spanish.
(d) English.

2. According to the narrator, Jeremy Bernstein's primary job function is...
(a) Making sure that students attend their courses and arrive to school on time.
(b) Trying to help drug addicts stop abusing drugs.
(c) Parking cars at the country club that Mr. Shilling frequents.
(d) Helping graduating students pick three colleges to receive their transcripts.

3. The first story that Betsy Goodman heard about Lisa Shilling's strange behavior happened on...
(a) Paul Newman's newest film's opening night.
(b) The first anniversary of Lisa and Brian Morris' going steady.
(c) Ben Goodman's graduation.
(d) Mary Nell Fickett's birthday.

4. When the narrator describes her mother as a "joiner" (p. 31) what does she mean?
(a) She's using a slang word of the 1960s meaning her mother is not very cool.
(b) Her mother belongs to a social club known as the Joiners.
(c) Her mother likes to join various organizations.
(d) Her mother constructs articles by joining pieces of wood.

5. How does Lisa Shilling react when Brian Morris breaks up with her?
(a) She begins to stalk him.
(b) She seems largely unaffected.
(c) She weeps hysterically for weeks.
(d) She blames Mary Nell Fickett for coming between them.

Short Answer Questions

1. Lisa Shilling's conversation with her parents opens the novel. Lisa tries to talk to her parents about something important. Lisa's mother, Mrs. Shilling, responds by doing what?

2. Which character is described by the narrator as trying "to hard to be clever, too hard to be quick, too hard at everything except at being himself" (pp. 28-29)?

3. Which character's father maintains a large personal library with valuable reference books?

4. Lisa Shilling's conversation with her parents opens the novel. Lisa tries to tell her parents that she thinks she might be crazy because...

5. After Lisa Shilling's self-mutilation episode at school, her parents performed what action?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Lisa Shilling find herself attracted to Elizabeth Frazer, as a potential friend?

2. Why does Betsy Goodman self-describe as the least important person in the narrative?

3. Why does Lisa Shilling feel more comfortable with her new friend Betsy Goodman than with her older friend Mary Nell Fickett?

4. Who is the narrator in chapter one?

5. What kind of a job does Mr. Goodman do as an insurance salesman?

6. Describe the family situation of the four main characters.

7. Why does Lisa Shilling tell her parents that she thinks she is mentally ill in front of her friend Mary Nell Fickett?

8. Mental illness aside, how typical are the four main protagonists of the novel?

9. What kind of a job does Rev. Fickett do as a church reverend?

10. In what is Mr. Shilling primarily interested?

(see the answer keys)

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