View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does Deirdre accuse of abusing her?

2. What is Augusten's reaction to Neil Bookman's disappearance?

3. Under what is Freud trapped by the dreamer?

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

5. Where does Deirdre's new girlfriend get most of her money?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What messages does Hope claim to be receiving from the cat through her dreams?

3. What happens after Deirdre meets Winnie Pye?

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

5. How do Natalie and Augusten get on at college?

6. Why do the Finch family still have a Christmas tree in May?

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

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

9. What disturbing behavior does Augusten witness from his mother during their stay in Rhode Island?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many characters in the memoir battle with debilitating obsessions. Create a list of three characters that deal with various obsessions throughout the course of the memoir. Compare and contrast the way that their obsessions have affected their lives. Finally, explain the way that each of these characters attempted to battle their obsessive tendencies.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

In the beginning of the memoir, Augusten is filled with a deep admiration for his mother. Explain the way that Augusten viewed his mother when he was a child, and explain the way that Augusten's view of her changed as he grew older.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 762 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample