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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. Where did Joel often take Trethewey on their drives?

2. What did Trethewey hear her mother telling Joel about the idea of him adopting her?

3. What was Joel's pet phrase to Gwendolyn?

4. What occurred to Trethewey about the medium after she left her session?

5. When was Joel's first attempt to kill Gwendolyn?

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 give Trethewey that provided a "crucial outlet" for her (106)?

3. In what way was Trethewey careful about how she answered the medium's questions?

4. Why did Gwendolyn decline an invitation to Jimmy Carter's inaugural ball?

5. What did Gwendolyn do just weeks before her death that Trethewey revealed in Part IV?

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

7. What was Trethewey's first impression of the medium she visited?

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

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

10. Who did Trethewey confide in about hearing Joel beat her mother, and how did that person react?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why did Trethewey decide not to tell her parents the first time children insulted her because she is mixed race? What connection did Trethewey make between this incident and her path to becoming a writer? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How did Trethewey's handling of the revelation that Joel read her diary relate to her later decision to become a professional writer? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Which extended family members of Trethewey's were most influential in her early life and upbringing, and why? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 730 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample