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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 Michael do for a living?

2. What is the nickname people gave Melissa and Michael?

3. What is the street address of Melissa's house?

4. Who does Michael start paying more attention to at work?

5. What does Melissa tell Hazel she needs to buy when they go shopping together in Chapter 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Michael supposed to do with Ria in Chapter 6 that Ria is looking forward to?

2. At Ria's school's cultural night, who steals the show?

3. What does Melissa do with Blake in Chapter 5 that she absolutely hates?

4. When does Melissa start to notice Hazel's eyes glazing over in Chapter 7?

5. What large project does the former occupant of Melissa and Michael's house undertake just before his marriage falls apart?

6. How does Damian feel about Melissa?

7. Before having her second child, where did Melissa work and what did she do?

8. What was Michael hoping would happen to revitalize his and Melissa's relationship after the Wiley's party in Chapter 1?

9. What tragic event from the Civil Rights era does the image of the Obama children from the 2008 U.S. presidential election evoke for Evans' characters in London?

10. What does Damian suggest to Michael that might be wrong with Melissa in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does the idea of the "night things," which Evans explains repeatedly throughout the novel, represent? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Damian seem to be having so much trouble facing his feelings about his father's death, and how does this failure to face his feelings affect his relationship with his wife? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 3

The novel opens with a party in London celebrating the 2008 U.S. presidential election of Barack Obama. Write an essay analyzing how Evans explains the relevance of Obama's election to the U.S. presidency through her characters in Chapter 1, who are living in London.

(see the answer keys)

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