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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. According to the narrator, which major character seems to contribute the most meaningful comments during group therapy sessions?
(a) Elizabeth Frazer.
(b) Tracy Shilling.
(c) Betsy Goodman.
(d) Mary Nell Fickett.

2. Why does Mr. Shilling reject Rev. Fickett's and Mr. Milne's assertion that Lisa Shilling is suffering from serious mental illness?
(a) Because Lisa was always a timid child.
(b) Because he knows that Lisa is beyond help.
(c) Because he hasn't seen any strange behavior at home.
(d) Because he knows that Lisa likes to fake problems to get attention.

3. What does Betsy call her affected smile that starts at the left corner of her mouth and then spreads slowly across her whole face?
(a) Gelontology.
(b) The Joanna Woodward Special.
(c) The Paul Newman Catcher.
(d) The Duchenne Smile.

4. During one group therapy session Lisa Shilling teases Mary Nell Fickett by making up a recurring dream. What is the dream that Lisa makes up?
(a) She dreams of many snakes crawling into a hole.
(b) She dreams she's married to Paul Newman.
(c) She dreams of Brian Morris dating Mary Nell.
(d) She dreams she was born in California.

5. As Mary Nell Fickett's confidence sinks, what happens to Betsy Goodman?
(a) Betsy's confidence sinks, too.
(b) Betsy loses interest in helping Lisa Shilling.
(c) Betsy develops a crush on Elizabeth Frazer.
(d) Betsy's confidence increases.

Short Answer Questions

1. After Lisa Shilling walks through a floor-to-ceiling window and is taken to the hospital, Mr. Goodman, Betsy Goodman, Mary Nell Fickett, and Elizabeth Frazer all attempt to convince Mrs. Shilling that Lisa's actions were a cry for help. How does Mrs. Shilling respond?

2. During one early group therapy session, why does Mary Nell Fickett get angry with Elizabeth Frazer?

3. Lisa Shilling says a specific thing in the movie Raintree Country makes her "'a little nervous'" (p. 70). What is that thing?

4. When Rev. Fickett and Mr. Milne tell Mr. Shilling that his daughter Lisa is in serious trouble, what is Mr. Shilling's first assumption about Lisa's problem?

5. When Mary Nell Fickett talks to her father about Lisa Shilling, how does her father respond?

Short Essay Questions

1. Betsy Goodman is watching a television program about a mentally ill (and committed) patient when Lisa Shilling arrives. Why does Lisa's appearance make Betsy uncomfortable?

2. Describe Lisa Shilling's punctuality and dependability.

3. How does Betsy Goodman's focus on movie stars help develop the plot?

4. Cover photographs aside, what narratives clues are there that identify the four protagonists as white?

5. Describe the typical group therapy session involving Lisa Shilling, Betsy Goodman, Mary Nell Fickett, and Elizabeth Frazer.

6. Between Elizabeth Frazer, Mary Nell Fickett, and Betsy Goodman, which character tries the least to understand Lisa Shilling's diagnosis?

7. After Lisa assaults Elizabeth, she makes her close friends make her a particular promise. What is the promise, and why does she make them accept it?

8. Mary Nell Fickett believes that she might fully master the study of abnormal psychology by reading many books. Describe Mary Nell's reasoning and comment upon it.

9. What actions does Lisa Shilling take to attempt to convince her parents that she needs professional help?

10. Is Betsy Goodman a reliable narrator?

(see the answer keys)

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