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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 famous wedding is the Finch family watching on the television?

2. Why do the Finch family move their furniture outside?

3. During the argument between Hope Finch and Neil Bookman, who does Augusten side with?

4. What color does the dyed hair come out as?

5. Which character dies from heart failure?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Natalie loses her earrings in the hotel?

2. How does Augusten react to Hope's sudden onset of mental instability?

3. What does Augusten witness on the last night before Deirdre is taken away by the police?

4. What are the consequences of Deirdre taking Cesar home with her from the mental hospital?

5. What significant event happens during Natalie and Augusten's first live performance at the mental health hospital?

6. What happens when Brenda comes to visit the Finch family?

7. What happens to the rest of the Finch family in the epilogue?

8. How do the Finch family respond to having their furniture outside?

9. Why do Hope Finch and Neil Bookman get into a huge fight about Neil's relationship with Augusten?

10. Halfway through the memoir, the demeanor of the Finch family home begins to change. In what ways is stress affecting the family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the conclusion of the memoir, many readers will side with Augusten in his belief that the Finch household was a terrible place to grow up, but they were the only stability that he had as a child. Give three examples of times when the Finches proved that they had Augusten's best interests at heart, and explain why the Finches may have been portrayed in a bad light throughout the memoir.

Essay Topic 2

There are many times throughout his life that Augusten feels very alone and sought out someone to confess his emotions to.

Part 1.) Create a list of three examples in which Augusten felt alone and depressed.

Part 2.) Explain who Augusten typically chose to confess his feelings of loneliness to.

Part 3.) Explain the way that emotions and confessions shaped the relationship that Augusten had with at least one other character in the memoir.

Essay Topic 3

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?

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