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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 won't her father pay her medical bills?

2. What designer makes the dress that Elizabeth purchases to fit in?

3. Which of these things does Elizabeth NOT wish to be instead of depression?

4. Which one of these is NOT something Dr. Isaac says to Elizabeth?

5. Where do Elizabeth and her mother cruise to after she and her boyfriend break up?

Short Essay Questions

1. What makes Dr. Saltenstahl different from many of Elizabeth's other psychologists?

2. What does Elizabeth dream after her father disappears?

3. Why does Elizabeth love taking Ecstasy?

4. Why do Elizabeth and Jethro decide to take some cocaine?

5. What is unusual about her cousin Pamela that she discovers later?

6. What is the Catch-22-like situation that Elizabeth finds herself in?

7. Why does Elizabeth say that she never had to worry about a crash landing?

8. What are some of the reasons why the camp director says Elizabeth won't go through with her threat to have a drug overdose while at camp?

9. What does Elizabeth consider her father's first and last act of paternal authority?

10. Describe the mood of Elizabeth and her mother on their way to Harvard.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Elizabeth's writing style in the book is unusual. She will jump from a standard font to an italicized one. What impact does this have for the reader? Does it change the tone of the novel? Why or why not? What contribution does it make for the overall story? Does it encourage the reader to relate more to Elizabeth or feel more disconnected from her? Use specific examples from the novel to support your statements.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Elizabeth's description of her depression, taken from a quote by The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, "Gradually, and then suddenly." Why do you think Elizabeth is attracted to this expression? What about her depression and how she deals with the disease fits into this quote? Use specific examples from the book to explain the "gradual" parts and then the "sudden" parts of Elizabeth's interaction with depression and how it comes to affect every aspect of her life.

Essay Topic 3

At various points in her life, Elizabeth will feel extreme highs followed by extreme lows. How is this conveyed in the novel? How are the words chosen, descriptions and tone combined together in order to convey the highs or lows of her life at any point in the novel. Use three specific examples to demonstrate an emotional period for her and how the writing helped to demonstrate the emotion during that time.

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