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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. How did Trethewey push back against Joel's violation of her privacy?

2. Who did Trethewey confide in about her mother being abused by Joel in Part III?

3. What did Gwendolyn write about Joel's feelings towards Trethewey?

4. How long did Trethewey go to therapy with Joel before she realized she wanted to end the marriage?

5. What happened the year that Trethewey moved to Atlanta with her mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Trethewey go out of her way to avoid in Atlanta when she moved there as an adult?

2. What did Gwendolyn write about the problems between Trethewey and Joel?

3. How long was it before Trethewey had a chance to read her mother's notes that were taken from her briefcase by the police?

4. What did Trethewey tell her mother when Gwendolyn told her Joel wanted to adopt her?

5. Why did Gwendolyn admonish Trethewey about her hair in Part III?

6. What news did Trethewey share with Gwendolyn and Joel that prompted Gwendolyn to stand up for her?

7. How did Trethewey learn to figure out whether Joel was in the house or not in Part III?

8. What did Trethewey consider about the medium's words to her after she listened back to the recording of their session?

9. What happened after Trethewey's "rational mind" took over when considering what the medium had told her (129)?

10. What did the medium tell Trethewey he was getting a specific strong vibe about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What did Trethewey learn from the pages of her mother's notes that were in Gwendolyn's briefcase at the time of Gwendolyn's death in 1985? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

In what specific instances and/or timeframes did Threthewey cast doubt on the accuracy of her own memories throughout the memoir? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why did Trethewey decide not to tell her mother about Joel's torments and psychological abuses of her? What connection did Trethewey make between her decision not to tell her mother and her mother's murder years later? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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