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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. To what was Richard Steele referring in the following quote? "... the compleatest image of heaven and hell we are capable of receiving in this life."

2. In what form of internalization do we take on aspects of those we have loved?

3. How many stages are there in the journey towards death according to Kubler-Ross?

4. What is the name of the son in Death of a Salesman that Viorst uses as an example of the restricting roles some parents foist on their children?

5. According to Viorst, in middle age we inspire far less ________ than we do ___________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Which necessary loss is discussed in Chapter 12?

2. How does baggage from childhood put pressure on a marriage?

3. What happens in our thirties, in relation to our parents?

4. What is the fundamental tension in all man-woman marriages?

5. How did Viorst's three friends approach death differently?

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

7. According to the book, why are friends so important?

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

9. In thinking about losses as a lifelong theme, name some of the juxtapositions that Viorst discusses in Chapter 20.

10. Viorst suggests two necessary losses in Chapter 14. Name one of them.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sigmund Freud first discovered and described the Oedipus complex. Write an essay about the beginning of this complex, why it was named after Oedipus, and how it continues to impact modern psychology. Using support from the book and your own life, discuss why or why not you may agree or disagree with Freud and Viorst's view of this theory.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast normal/healthy mourning with that of chronic mourning, according to the book. How are they similar? What is different about the process of chronic mourning? Can grief be resolved through either process?

Essay Topic 3

Chapter 11 details the positive and negative aspects of our dreams and fantasies. Compare and contrast fantasy versus reality using ideas from the book. How are they similar? How are they different? Do they serve the same purpose?

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