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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 reaction to Neil Bookman's disappearance?

2. What is Winnie Pye's occupation?

3. How long is Freud imprisoned?

4. Who comes to help alleviate the situation when Deirdre is having a mental breakdown?

5. Where do Natalie and Augusten secure their first live performance?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens after Deirdre meets Winnie Pye?

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

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

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

5. What does Natalie inform Augusten of while they are whale watching, and how does she prove her point?

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

7. After Neil Bookman has been gone for over a year, what realization does Augusten come to about their relationship?

8. What does Deirdre confess to Augusten that drives a wedge between him and Natalie?

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

10. What happens when Augusten sets out to dye Neil Bookman's hair?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The story is ultimately Augusten Burroughs' account of his childhood. Compare / contrast the boy that Augusten is in the beginning of the novel with the man that he is in the end and give one example of a scene that irrevocably changed the course of Augusten Burroughs' life.

Essay Topic 2

The Finch family uses many methods to receive messages from God when they are stressed out about a situation. Compare and contrast the two methods of communication that Hope and Dr. Finch use to speak to God about their troubles, and then explain why you think the Finch family believes that they are in open communication with God about their trivial problems.

Essay Topic 3

Both Augusten and Natalie have big hopes for their futures.

Part 1.) Describe what both of these characters hoped they would aspire to in the future.

Part 2.) Describe the path that each of these characters took, or strayed from, in the hopes of reaching their goals.

Part 3.) Describe where each of the characters ended up at the time of the epilogue. How did their endings compare to their dreams?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 911 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample