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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 old is Jimmy?

2. Why does Martha decide to give up on the story about Olive?

3. Why does Godbee placed the filled baby food jars on the window sills?

4. The man in #173 says that he is haunted by Olive who was always alone and ______________________.

5. What is Martha going to do with the jar of ocean water she collects?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Martha so upset about the bet that Jimmy made with the other boys?

2. What is the first part of Martha's plan to be carried out at the beach?

3. Why does Godbee fill baby food jars with colored water?

4. How does Martha keep Lucy occupied while she carries out the first part of her plan?

5. How does Martha feel as she holds Jimmy's hand and they walk down the beach?

6. Why does Martha think of Olive as she thinks about the kissing video?

7. How does Godbee feel about her colored water experiment?

8. What fact startles Martha when she speaks about Olive as Jimmy films her?

9. What comment does Alice make to Martha that pleases her after Martha brings Lucy home from the beach?

10. What does Olive's journal statement about wanting to go to "a real ocean" foreshadow?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

OLIVE'S OCEAN is a classic example of a coming-of-age story. What does that classification entail? Why does this book fit into this category?

Essay Topic 2

What is the greatest lesson Martha learns from Jimmy? Is it true that important lessons are also painful ones? What will Martha always recall about Jimmy and how his cruelty taught her an important lesson.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Lucy. What is her role in the story? What was the author trying to accomplish by developing Lucy's character in the novel?

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