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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. According to Chapter 9, what feeling could be fear of the loss of our own love?

2. Which of the answers below describes the stages and challenges of the life cycle according to Erik Erikson?

3. Who created the character Alexander Portnoy?

4. By consolidating our own "inner law enforcer or superego," we can resolve what in a healthy way?

5. Chapter 11 discusses our what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does J.D. Salinger's character from The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, not want to grow up?

2. According to Chapter 9, what kind of person lacks guilt?

3. Why are we afraid of fantasies that portray socially unacceptable behavior?

4. Why do children experience sibling rivalry?

5. Why do psychologists think the "Mommy and I Are One" experiments worked?

6. Growing up means what, according to Chapter 10?

7. According to psychoanalyst Margaret Mahler, what is our "psychological birth" ?

8. Viorst lists many things that healthy adults know. Name two.

9. Despite a constant desire for independence, why do young children keep coming back to their mothers?

10. The term "penis envy" can sound quite ridiculous, but Viorst points out that it takes on many metaphorical meanings. What are some of those possible symbolic meanings?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chapter 14 discusses the theory that parents will do anything to protect their children and try to give them a better life than they themselves had. Discuss the various ways in which mothers, especially, try to make their children better people than themselves. Use examples from the book for support.

Essay Topic 2

It seems as though everyone wants to live on beyond their physical life. Discuss ways in which people can live on after their death. Use support from the book and personal experiences. How would you hope to live on beyond death?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the proposal by the author that extended separation from a mother can result in permanent emotional damage in light of our societal structure. If, as the author proposes, our entire societal structure is called into question by a child's absolute need for his or her mother, in what ways would you go about restructuring our society? What changes would you make? How involved should government be? What role would churches and other community organizations play in shifting the priorities of an entire society?

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