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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. Why was Conrad in the hospital?

2. Which of the following is Conrad's third goal?

3. What is the significance of chapter 7?

4. What kind of person does Conrad perceive himself to be?

5. Who does Conrad ride to school with in chapter 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Conrad use as an excuse to quit the swim team?

2. In chapter 14, what does Dr. Berger suggest the real problem is?

3. What causes Conrad to worry about his ability to survive in chapter 7?

4. What causes Conrad to have his first pleasant memory about Jordan?

5. Why does Cal want to get Conrad a car for Christmas?

6. The morning that the novel starts, what things does Conrad wonder?

7. Describe the new goals that Conrad sets for himself.

8. What are Conrad's feelings about getting a car for Christmas?

9. How was attention called to Conrad's issues before he went to the mental hospital?

10. What is Cal's role in his family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which items in the novel are symbols? Consider Jordan's death, the mental hospital, Conrad's bumper stickers, and the swim team in your analysis.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the development of the three main characters: Conrad, Beth, and Cal. Compare and contrast each character from the novel's introduction to the epilogue. What changes? What do they learn?

Essay Topic 3

Conrad feels that he has lost his identity after Jordan dies because he feels as if he needs to make up for the loss of Jordan. How does loss of identity tie into the novel as a theme? Analyze the other characters who have lost their identity.

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