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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 does Lucy blame herself for?

2. What does Lucy say people crave?

3. Why did Catherine get furious with Lucy when she was dying?

4. Where do Lucy and William first spot Lois Bubar?

5. What does Lucy see in the parking lot of a diner in Maine?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Phyllis?

2. Who does Lois Bubar refuse to meet?

3. Who is Ralph?

4. What is Lois's one regret in life?

5. What does Lucy tell William about his khakis?

6. What is the one happy memory Lucy has of her father?

7. Why do Lucy and Willam take a trip to Maine?

8. Who was crowned Miss Potato Blossom Queen in 1961?

9. Who is Park Avenue Robbie?

10. Why does Lucy take a class at the New School?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay exploring the theme of loneliness. Who in the novel experiences loneliness, and why? How do they cope with this loneliness? Use examples from the text as support.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay exploring Lucy's idea that people crave "authority." In particular, that one reason she felt so safe with William during their marriage was because he was a self-assured and authoritative person. In what moments throughout the novel is it clear that this idea about authority and the safety it provides is true for Lucy? Use examples from the text as support.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring Lucy's belief that a person can only be fundamentally comfortable within themselves if they have been properly loved by their parents. Why does she believe this? What characters from the book lead her to believe this? Use examples from the text as support.

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