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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 is the benefit of Avey's hotel balcony meltdown?

2. Which of the following does Avey do as the ship sets sail to Carriacou?

3. What is the name of the ship that would take Avey, as a girl, on the trips to Bear Mountain with her family and friends?

4. How does Avey say goodbye to Lebert and Rosalie?

5. On the beach, Avey thinks and moves like ______________.

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Avey know she has come back to herself?

2. What happens to Avey when she finally lets her true nature come to the forefront as she stands on the hotel room balcony?

3. In what ways is Avey's meltdown at the hotel a clearing of the path for her spiritually?

4. Who is Rosalie Parvay and how does Avey meet her?

5. What was occurring during all those years that Avey was living in denial about her true self?

6. What does Avey mean when she says that her life is a tabula rasa?

7. Avey now longs for her husband "Jay" who "died" when Jerome came to the forefront and made them an affluent family. To what holiday situation does Avey compare this longing?

8. What is revealed about the women on the boat by the way they care for Avey?

9. Describe Avey's experience at the Beg Pardon.

10. What does Avey reminisce about her father and family trips as she is waiting on the dock?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the significance of the book's title. What did the author mean by calling the novel Praisesong for the Widow? What other title could you suggest? State a reason to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the concept of loneliness as it exhibits in the story. Which of the characters are lonely? Are they all lonely in some way? Explain the loneliness and the methods and attempts to overcome it.

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This section contains 1,183 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample