View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Garrett do when helping the caller the day following his first date with Theresa?

2. What does Theresa notice when she stands in front of Happenstance for the first time?

3. What does Theresa plan to do to indulge herself during her week at Cape Cod?

4. Where does Deanna find Theresa crying?

5. What does Deanna say to convince Theresa to publish the column?

Short Essay Questions

1. What surprises await Theresa when she returns to work on Monday following the publication of the message?

2. What story did the prologue reveal about messages in bottles?

3. Why does Deanna try to convince Theresa to find Garrett?

4. Why was Theresa in Cape Cod during the summer prior to the beginning of the story?

5. Where does the letter come from and who determines the location from which it was sent?

6. What is Theresa's greatest fear concerning Kevin and David's relationship?

7. How did Catherine die?

8. Why does Theresa want to put everything aside after finding the second message?

9. What do Garrett and his dad have in common?

10. Why is Theresa lonely, the summer she found the bottle?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The point of view of a story contributes to how information is told and what information is told in a story. In "Message in a Bottle," the story is told mostly through third person point of view. Discuss the differences between point of view and why the author may have chosen third person p.o.v. to tell this story. How does this point of view seem detrimental or beneficial to the story line? Use the text to support your opinions.

Essay Topic 2

Deanna is a character in the novel who acts as Theresa's friend and editor. Does Deanna's desire to protect Theresa affect her positively or negatively? Does Deanna act as an antagonist? Support your statements with examples and quotes from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Theresa introduces Kevin and Garrett when they go to Wilmington to visit for the weekend. Although she prepares her son, she may not have anticipated that Garrett remains plagued by memories of Catherine throughout their courtship and that Catherine was pregnant when she was killed. Does Kevin's relationship with Garrett add to the story or detract from it? Did the fact that Catherine was pregnant affect Garrett's relationship with Kevin? Support your statements with examples and quotes from the text.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,013 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample