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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. How did Norm's parents die?

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

3. What does Penny say her mother's profession is in 2016?

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

5. Where did Norm attend graduate school?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How is Matt's relationship with his father characterized in 2005?

4. What happens when Matt comes to confront the squatters at Nicotine the first time?

5. What characters are present in the opening scene of the novel? What is their significance in the plot of the story?

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

7. What leads up to the sexual encounter between Penny and Jazz?

8. What is the inciting incident in the novel and how does it propel the action forward?

9. Who is Rob and how does Penny meet him?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the protest that goes awry, leading to Sorry and Penny's detention. What are the women doing when they are arrested? Why are they arrested? Where are they detained? For how long are they detained?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the plot structure of Nicotine. What inciting incident kicks off the story? Where does the climax occur? What information is related in the falling action and denouement of the plot? How "traditional" is this plot structure?

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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