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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. What desire does Lillian feel immediately before the family dinner in Chapter Eight?

2. What does the fire represent to Bessie, as revealed in Chapter Nine?

3. What secret does Bessie reveal about her mother's death in Chapter Six?

4. What does Lillian admit to Madison in Chapter Nine?

5. What channel are Lillian and the twins watching in Chapter Ten?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes the twins to burst into flames in Chapter Six?

2. What sorts of items does Lillian think might help the twins, as explained in Chapter Six?

3. What is Lillian's opinion regarding having her own children, as revealed in Chapter Eight?

4. What does Bessie admit about the fire in Chapter Nine?

5. What important lesson does Lillian remember about Madison in Chapter Seven?

6. What metabolic state does Dr. Cannon hypothesize is behind the twins' fire? What does he recommend?

7. What happens during the press conference in Chapter Ten?

8. What shocking information does Bessie reveal in Chapter Six?

9. What happens at the library in Chapter Eight?

10. What disagreement happens during the family dinner in Chapter Eight?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The antagonist of a novel is a character who stands in opposition to the protagonist. Who is the antagonist of the novel? Carl? The twins? Jasper? The fire itself? Make a case for that which you believe best fits the criteria of an antagonist.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Carl’s contradictory characteristics. In what ways is he a good person? In what ways is he a bad one?

Essay Topic 3

Near the end of the novel, Madison says: “There are a lot of nice things about being rich, but one of the best is that you can say almost anything, and if you do it with confidence, without blinking, people put a lot of effort into believing you” (247). Explain how the novel illustrates this idea.

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