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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 did the Grogans decide should be done to avoid having another miscarriage?

2. What was the name of the dog that Marley had his first playdate with?

3. What was the Labrador retriever originally bred for?

4. When Marley was ready to join John and Jenny at home, John was glad Jenny would be away. Why?

5. What was the dance name the Grogans gave to Marley that reflected his wiggling movements?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the Grogans come to name Marley?

2. What did the Grogans decide to do with Marley at the age of six months and what was the result of this?

3. After returning from Ireland, John and Jenny decided it was time to occasionally leave Marley alone in the house. What was the outcome of this?

4. The day after the news of the first pregnancy's loss, what did John buy for Jenny and what was the result of this?

5. What was happening in the Grogans' neighborhood a year or so after the birth of Patrick?

6. Even when Marley was still a fairly young dog, he was large and many people perceived him as being an attack dog. Why was John glad of this?

7. Who was Buddy and what was the result of his visit to the Grogans?

8. How did John's first night with Marley at home go?

9. Why did John decide to surprise Jenny with a three-week stay in Ireland?

10. What did Jenny and John decide to do and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In reference to the plotting of Marley & Me:

(1) Why are the events of the memoir arranged as they are?

(2) What moves the narrative along? Is it external action or internal conflicts? Or a combination of both? Support your answer with examples.

Essay Topic 2

Tone refers to the attitude of the narrator of a work. As the narrator of Marley & Me, what is the author's tone at different stages of the book? Explain the tone, with examples:

1) At the beginning of the book, before the Grogans adopted Marley;

2) When Marley was a puppy;

3) When the family welcomes children; and

4) When the family moves to Pennsylvania with an aging Marley.

Essay Topic 3

In memoir writing, the author's personal presence must exist to make it authentic. Give five examples where John Grogan's personal presence is apparent and for two of those examples, explain why you think he chose to make it so.

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