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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 Jean think she hears coming from the neighbor's house?

2. What do Jean and her mother do routinely on Sunday mornings?

3. What reason does Jean have for visiting Melanie every Monday?

4. How was the special conference for the Society a turning point for Jean?

5. How does the Society for the Lost fare under the direction of Jean's mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does her mother tell the story of Jean's adoption?

2. How did Jean's mother get started with the Society for the Lost?

3. Who invites Jean to go to the seaside? What happens and why does her mother not let her?

4. Describe how the church community misunderstood Jean's deafness. What did they say about her?

5. What happens the first time Melanie goes to Jean's church?

6. When she is young and still trying to understand men and marriage, what is Jean's general opinion of men? Where does it come from?

7. Explain why this statement is relevant to Jean's predicament at school: "What constitutes a problem is not the thing, or the environment where we find the thing, but the conjunction of the two."

8. Who does Jean eventually get a Saturday job from? What does she do?

9. Why don't Melanie and Jean think that what they share is what the pastor labels as "unnatural passion"?

10. Describe the incident of the mac and its replacement.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The central themes in the novel deal with sexuality and gender roles.

Part 1. Describe the views that expressed by the members of Jean's church.

Part 2. Analyze the views described. Are they sexist or prejudice?

Part 3. What philosophies exist contrary to this position? What is anti-essentialism?

Part 4. What effect do holding these views have on religious institutions such as Jean's church?

Essay Topic 2

The five fundamental components of fiction were introduced and discussed in a lecture.

Part 1. What are the five fundamental components?

Part 2. Give a description of each of the components and an example or two of how they might affect a story.

Part 3. Discuss the five fundamental components in ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT. What techniques does the author use? How effectively does she use them?

Essay Topic 3

None of the references to famous people, stories, or other things are in the novel by accident. The author brings them up specifically for their relevance to some aspect of her story. Choose one of the many popular or Biblical references in the novel to explain.

Part 1. What reference is made? When in the story is it made?

Part 2. Describe the reference thoroughly, making sure to include the parts that relate to ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT.

Part 3. How does this reference relate back to Jean's story? What relevance does it have? What insight or depth does it bring with it that was missing?

(see the answer keys)

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