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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. Who passes Augusten a note that reads "You are nothing but a sex object"?

2. What does Augusten state hating about his relationship with Neil Bookman?

3. What happens to Dr. Finch after the close of the memoir?

4. What does one audience member do to Natalie and Augusten during their first performance?

5. How does Augusten compare as a student to Natalie?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Augusten and Natalie go into the city to search for part-time jobs?

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

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

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

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

6. What does Augusten do after he realizes that Neil Bookman has disappeared?

7. What happens after Deirdre meets Winnie Pye?

8. What happens when Natalie and Augusten go to visit Father Kimmel in town?

9. What conversation between Agnes and Natalie erupts into a huge fight as the family is watching television?

10. What does Augusten realize about the places that he has lived in relationship to his hopes and dreams for the future?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Augusten's biological brother, Troy, makes only one appearance throughout the memoir.

Part 1.) Describe Augusten's encounter with Troy in New York and the realization that Augusten had about his family after it.

Part 2.) Compare and contrast Augusten's relationship with his biological brother Troy to his relationship with his adopted sister Natalie. Which relationship seemed to have a larger effect on Augusten's view of the world? Use examples from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Both Augusten and the Finch children seem to have grown up completely neglected by their parents.

Part 1.) Create a list of three examples that illustrate parental neglect in the memoir.

Part 2.) Create a list of three examples that illustrate the way that the children handled the neglectful situations, ensuring that their basic needs were met.

Part 3.) Argue whether you believe that the Finch's actually neglected their children, or chose to employ unusual parenting techniques. Use examples from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Both Natalie and Augusten enter sexually abusive relationships with much older partners. Compare and contrast the two relationships and explain what each character learned about themselves after escaping the abuse.

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