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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. Avey's daughter, Marion, wanted her mother to take a trip where ______________________.

2. What kind of course did Jay pay for with his GI benefits?

3. Of what does Avey suspect her husband?

4. What is Avey Johnson doing as the novel opens?

5. Who does Avey dream of during her first night at the hotel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Thomasina and how does she react to Avey's wanting to leave the cruise?

2. What is the premise of this novel?

3. What does Avey recall about spending time with her Great Aunt Cuney?

4. Who is Clarice and how does she react to Avey's wanting to leave the cruise?

5. How challenging is it for Avey to find a quiet place on the ship where she can sort out her thoughts?

6. Why does Avey feel guilty about reminiscing about the days spent at the Halsey Street apartment?

7. Who is the main character of the story and what is she doing as the novel opens?

8. What does Avey learn from the taxi driver about what all the commotion is about with the people at the harbor?

9. What happened when Avey finally let loose with her suspicions of Jay?

10. What was Jay's response to Avey's hysterics?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why did Marshall choose to use the omniscient narrator perspective for the novel? What does this point of view entail? What do you know about the characters and the plot line that you would not know from a different point of view?

Essay Topic 2

Explain Marshall's use of regionalism in the novel. Cite examples of at least two different instances of regionalism and explain why the author used them where she did.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of religion and spirituality in Avey's life. What had it meant to her as a child? How were the religion lessons with her father different from the spiritual lessons with Great Aunt Cuney? Why were each of them important to Avey's development? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,000 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample