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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. When Julia decides in the middle of the night to begin writing a book, she ends up "surrounded by balled-up yellow wads of paper," (46) all of which say only which two words?

2. In what field had Julia's last boyfriend Philip been employed?

3. The narrator states that Julia's return to Rain Valley is "only the second time she'd been back since" (54) what event?

4. In what way are Julia and Ellie related?

5. Why do people in Rain Valley often go silent when Cal's wife Lisa is mentioned?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ellie feel about hosting the press conference in Rain Valley?

2. From whose perspective is the novel narrated when Chapter 1 opens?

3. In what way does Hannah connect the theme of secrecy to the nature of small towns?

4. How does the motif of dreams enter the narrative in Chapter 8?

5. Provide an example of Julia feeling rejected by her father in her youth.

6. What action does Julia take in Chapter 10 when Girl attempts to communicate with her for the first time?

7. What is the goal of the press conference held in Pine Valley in Chapter 6?

8. What coping mechanism does Julia use to deal with the feelings evoked by seeing her ballerina music box in her childhood room?

9. In what way does the theme of hope enter the narrative in relation to Julia's position as a psychiatrist?

10. Describe the violent encounter that occurs between Julia and Girl in Chapter 5.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within Hannah’s novel Magic Hour. Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

What is the function of Cal's character within the novel? Discuss the characterization methods used by Hannah in depicting Cal and include in your discussion the reasons that Hannah portrays Cal in these particular ways.

Essay Topic 3

What messages does Hannah send about hope and what themes are employed in order to send these messages to the reader?

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