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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 does Carmel initially feel about Jessica's pregnancy?

2. When the guests finally leave the meditation studio, whom do they meet first?

3. Who ultimately gets the item down from the rafters?

4. In Chapter 67, Masha becomes angry when she sees a guest wearing what object?

5. At the end of his psychedelic vision, what does Tony hear?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the object in the rafters? What is its meaning, according to Masha?

2. How does Masha finally lose all control over Yao?

3. How does Jessica's announcement disrupt her marriage in Chapter 52? What does Jessica realize as a result?

4. What does Ben realize about his marriage following the psychedelic therapy?

5. How is Masha "defeated" in Chapter 73?

6. What plans had Masha had for herself following the success of her new protocol?

7. What happened to Masha upon moving to Australia? What did she do as a result?

8. According to Yao's reflections in Chapter 54, how did undergoing psychedelic therapy help Yao?

9. What does Carmel tell Frances about her life before children in Chapter 60?

10. Who visits Zoe while she is undergoing the psychedelic therapy? What happens?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An epigraph is a short quotation at the beginning of a book. The epigraph to this novel is a quote from Rumi: “You suppose that you are in trouble but you are the cure. You suppose that you are the lock in the door but you are the key that opens it.” How does the epigraph reflect the lives of the characters? How does the epigraph reflect the novel’s themes?

Essay Topic 2

Appearances in the novel can be deceiving. How do appearances differ from reality in this novel? Discuss three characters and how this idea applies to each.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring how Yao’s relationship with Masha changes over the course of the novel.

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