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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. Where does Winnet meet the sorcerer?

2. What does Winnet do for the boy?

3. What do people do that Jean thinks is folly?

4. What does Jean compare history to?

5. What is the meeting of the Sisterhood like when Jean shows up after her second affair?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is a friend to Jean after she is exposed for loving women for the second time? What does she do to help?

2. How does Winnet end up living with the sorcerer and believing she is his daughter?

3. Describe how the author describes Pol Pot in relation to history in the chapter entitled Deuteronomy.

4. What makes Jean's mother aware of what is happening between Jean and Melanie?

5. What does the author say about the curious and the collector of curios?

6. Describe what happened when Jean's biological mother returned to claim her.

7. What is the point the author makes using the pilgrim fathers in her chapter entitled Deuteronomy?

8. What happens when Jean finally returns home after being accused by the pastor in church?

9. While Jean is locked up in her mother's house after being accused of loving Melanie at church, who does Jean talk to and what do they say?

10. How and when are Melanie and Jean ousted to the church? What happens?

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

At one point Jean describes her mother as "Old Testament." What do we mean by that phrase?

Part 1. Describe the Biblical Old Testament.

Part 2. Describe the Biblical New Testament, comparing and contrasting it to the Old Testament.

Part 3. Give some examples and explanations about things that might be referred to as Old Testament.

Essay Topic 3

The action of the novel happens in a community of Pentecostal Evangelists, and the conflict in the story is caused by their beliefs.

Part 1. Who are the Pentecostal Evangelists, and what do they believe in?

Part 2. Have they changed since the 1960s when this story took place?

Part 3. What would it be like to be raised in such a community?

(see the answer keys)

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