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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 Melissa tell Michael to take care of at the end of Chapter 5?

2. What breaks in the house at a crucial instant for Michael in Chapter 1?

3. What is the name of the headmistress at Ria's school?

4. Where does Michael have a drink with his friend in Chapter 7?

5. Which author does Melissa particularly like?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Melissa and Michael know the Wiley brothers?

2. Why had Michael's relationship with Gillian not worked out?

3. What is a large source of problems in Damian's and Stephanie's relationship?

4. Why is Michael so late to his engagement with Ria in Chapter 6?

5. What does Blake do in Chapter 5 that makes Melissa uneasy in their house as she is changing him?

6. What does Melissa see on the street near the church by their house in Chapter 6 that scares her, and why does it scare her?

7. What does Hazel offer for Melissa in order to try to help her and Michael?

8. Why do the Wiley brothers throw a party in Chapter 1?

9. What game does Michael play on the bus on his work commute?

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

How does Evans use descriptions of sex and sexual intimacy between characters to convey a sense of the strength and weaknesses in sets of relationships in this novel? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing what living in London, as opposed to the suburbs of the city, means to both Damian and Michael.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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