View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. For how many years does the newspaper article say that Charles Manx had lingered in a coma before he died in "Bad Mother, December 16, 2011-July 6, 2012"?

2. Who is the dead man that Vic finds in The Sleep House with a note in his mouth in "Christmasland, July 7-9"?

3. What happens to the “True Children” of Charles Manx in the epilogue?

4. Tabitha K. Hutter’s nametag indicates that she works for what law enforcement branch in "Search Engine, July 6-7"?

5. Who is described as “the woman from South Carolina who drowned her children, then told a whopping lie about how they’d been kidnapped by a black man” in "Search Engine, July 6-7"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Vic doing when the narrative first turns to her character at the Lake House in "Search Engine, July 6-7"?

2. How do the police respond to Vic’s story of her assault and Wayne’s abduction in "Search Engine, July 6-7"?

3. What does the narrator say happens to Charlie Manx’s “True Children” in the novel’s Epilogue?

4. What happens when Vic visits her father’s house in "Christmasland, July 7-9"?

5. What actions does Vic take inside Christmasland in "Triumph One Eternal, Christmas Eve"?

6. What argument takes place between Charlie Manx and Bing in the beginning of "Search Engine, July 6-7"?

7. How does Vic come to spend the summer with her son in "Bad Mother, December 16, 2011-July 6, 2012"? How does she feel about this vacation?

8. How is Wayne’s demeanor described in the beginning of "Christmasland, July 7-9"?

9. Where does Vic travel to via the Shorter Way Bridge after she leaves Bing’s home in "Christmasland, July 7-9"? What does she learn here?

10. How does the narrator describe Vic’s relationship with her boyfriend and son in "Interlude: The Spirit of Ecstasy, 2000-2012"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Family in NOS4A2

a. Discuss the theme of family in the novel as it applies to Vic McQueen. How would you describe Vic’s family growing up? How is this reflected in her own family as an adult?

b. Discuss the theme of family as it applies to Charles Manx, Bing Partridge, and the children at Christmasland. How does Manx justify his actions?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Charlie Manx’s offer to Bing Partridge in "Spicy Menace, 1990." How frequently does Charlie say he brings a child to Christmasland? How does Charlie describe Christmasland? What does Charlie tell Bing they are saving the children from? How does Charlie ask Bing to prepare for their work together?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the character of Vic McQueen as the protagonist of NOS4A2. How old is Vic when her character is first introduced? What does Vic enjoy doing? How does Vic react to the Shorter Way Bridge when she first crosses it? How does Vic’s character evolve in the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 989 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample