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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. In what month does Penny first go to Jersey City to find her grandparents' house?

2. What group administers the Nicotine house, according to Rob?

3. In what country does Sorry say she is a citizen?

4. What does Penny's father describe cutting in half with scissors as a metaphor for rape in 2005?

5. Who at the Tranquility house works with a collective that builds puppets for street theater?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is in the vacant bedroom across from Sorry's room? What is its history?

2. How is Norm described in 2005? What is his relationship with Penny like based on this scene?

3. Where is the opening scene of the novel set? What is the significance of this setting?

4. Why does Penny keep her family associations with Nicotine secret when she first meets the inhabitants?

5. What are Penny's impressions when she goes to the Stayfree house with Sorry for a potluck?

6. How is Norm's childhood home described when Penny finds it in 2016?

7. How is Amalia described when she first appears in the 2016 timeline? What is her relationship like with Penny?

8. Where is Norm's childhood home located? What is its history?

9. What is the main event that takes place in the scene from 2005? Why is this event significant?

10. Why is Norm's childhood home called "Nicotine"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the narrative style of Nicotine. Is the story related in the present or past tense? Is the narrative from a first, second, or third-person point of view? How do these factors influence the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Identify and discuss three symbols in Nicotine. What does each symbol represent? How does the symbol connect to the novel's overarching themes? What characters are connected to each symbol?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes/motifs of cults, anarchy, and activism in Nicotine. How do these themes connect to one another? How are they illustrated through characters in the novel? How are they evoked through setting? What statement(s) do you think the author is making regarding these topics?

(see the answer keys)

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