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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 Augusten's mother always immersed in?

2. When Augusten visits the band that Troy works for, what is the band doing when he spies on them?

3. How old is Neil at the time of his sexual encounter with Augusten?

4. What is Augusten's reaction to seeing his mother being intimate with someone in the kitchen?

5. On a scale of 1-10, how does Augusten rate his fight with Hope and Natalie?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Dr. Finch believe that he is in communication with God?

2. Why does Augusten view Troy's autism as a positive element in his life?

3. Why does Hope bring Augusten to meet Neil?

4. Why has Natalie moved back home with her parents?

5. How does Augusten cope with the stress at home?

6. How does the Finch family celebrate "World Father's Day"?

7. What is the state of Norman and Deirdre Burroughs' relationship?

8. What happens when Poo Bear walks in on the kids playing with the electroshock machine?

9. Why is there a giant hole in the Finch's kitchen ceiling?

10. What does Augusten do while he is skipping school, and what is Dr. Finch's reaction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Unrequited love becomes a large theme throughout the novel.

Part 1.) Create a list of examples of unrequited love throughout the memoir.

Part 2.) Compare / contrast the unrequited love between Deirdre and Dr. Finch with the unrequited love between Neil Bookman and Augusten.

Part 3.) Explain the effect that unrequited love had on Augusten after the incident with the convenience store clerk in Amherst.

Essay Topic 2

Another theme that is very prevalent in the memoir is one of normalcy versus absurdity. Explain what Augusten thought was normal, and give an example of a time that he strove to be normal, fighting against his absurd surroundings. What was the outcome of Augusten's fight for normalcy in that situation?

Essay Topic 3

All through his life, Augusten wanted to be famous.

Part 1.) Give three examples in which Augusten showed his desire for celebrity.

Part 2.) Now that Augusten actually is famous, explain how Augusten treats his family.

Part 3.) Hypothesize on whether or not fame and celebrity is what Augusten was hoping for when he was a child.

(see the answer keys)

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