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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 is it called when someone keeps everything just the same after someone dies?

2. Madame Bovary uses what metaphor to describe marriage?

3. What was the name of the married woman with four children, mentioned in Chapter 12, who formed a non-sexual friendship with another man?

4. Parents have trouble seeing their children as what?

5. According to Viorst, the different roles we assign ourselves keep life interesting and fluid, rather than _____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Chapter 17, what redefines us throughout our lives?

2. What are a few of the difficulties of a marriage relationship mentioned in Chapter 13?

3. What is described as the ultimate separation in Chapter 18?

4. According to the book, when does the way we will handle aging begin?

5. What types of unexpected emotions can we feel towards friends? How do they impact our friendships?

6. What impact does middle age tend to have on a marriage?

7. What are some of the different types of loss and mourning discussed in Chapter 16? Do we experience them all in the same way?

8. Which necessary loss is discussed in Chapter 12?

9. What can happen as a result of a mother's fear that her child's psyche is fragile? How can this affect the child?

10. According to Freud, is it unusual to have sexual feelings toward friends? How does this impact our friendships with the opposite sex?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examining the many negative traits of marriage discussed in Chapter 13, arrive at a personal conclusion as to whether the marriage relationship is worth the effort or not. Support your stance with examples from the book and your real life experiences.

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the process of us becoming our own person. How is our identity primarily formed? What pitfalls may we encounter along the way? How do our parents influence the process? Do they hinder or encourage the discovery of our primary self?

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