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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 object terrifies Alice so severely that Julia must remove it from Alice's sight immediately?

2. In what way does Max react to the news of Alice's first uttered word in Julia's presence?

3. Julia asks Max to promise that someday he will tell her more about what subject?

4. Celebrations of what holiday are featured within Chapters 19 and 20?

5. Julia muses that she had always gained what element as a result of spending time with her mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What prompts Julia to leave Max's house in Chapter 17?

2. What element of the car ride with Alice bothers Alice and what does Julia decide to do about the situation?

3. Provide evidence for the conclusion that Julia sees Alice's progress as a continuum, rather than a journey with a fixed destination.

4. How does Ellie try to cheer up Cal's daughters on Christmas evening?

5. What had been the cause of the break-up between Julia and Philip?

6. What does Ellie's choice of porch chair in Chapter 13 tell Julia about her state of mind?

7. What does the narrator mean when describing Ellie as both happy and unhappy as a result of her reunion with Julia?

8. For what reason does Julia accept Max's invitation to ride on the back of his motorcycle?

9. In what ways does Julia exhibit changes in her demeanor at the same time as Alice makes rapid progress?

10. What is revealed to be the reason behind Alice's fear of making noise?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Hannah's choice to tell the story of Magic Hour using a third person omniscient narrator. What elements of the novel's themes lend themselves to this choice and what are Hannah’s intended effects on the reader?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of Magic Hour and one of the novel's main messages. How does Hannah make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one of the text’s main themes?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Hannah’s focus on the theme of isolation in Magic Hour. What message is Hannah sending about being alone and how does this message intertwine with some other element of the text?

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