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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. How does Painted Stick move quickly?
2. What painting does Buddy accidentally uncover in Ellen Cherry's apartment?
3. How do the objects manage to escape the church?
4. Who does spoon hit when she falls out of the window of Ellen Cherry's apartment?
5. What is the catch in the belly dancer's assent to perform the Dance of the Seven Veils?
Short Essay Questions
1. What is Uncle Buddy's reasoning for attempting to blow up the Dome of the Rock?
2. Throughout the novel so far, Ellen Cherry seems to be cosmically bound to the group of objects. As they try to escape, Buddy catches two of them. Which objects does he catch and is Buddy also cosmically connected to the objects? Why?
3. Without art and without Boomer, Ellen Cherry is beginning to feel that life is meaningless. What do you think Robbins is saying about the relationship between the meaning we give our lives and our endeavors and/or relationships?
4. Describe Ellen Cherry's feelings for Buddy after he tells her why he wants to destroy the Dome of Rock.
5. Describe the group of objects in Ellen Cherry's underwear drawer.
6. How can we interpret the fact that the ancient Salome performs the Dance of the Seven Veils in exchange for John the Baptiste's head and the modern Salome performs it because of Ellen Cherry's painting?
7. Painted Stick strikes a human in order to save Spoon from being picked up. Explain why he feels so bad about this.
8. Explain the Vice President's concern regarding Buddy's plan to blow up the Dome of the Rock.
9. Describe what happens to Spoon when she falls out of the window.
10. When Ultima and Ellen Cherry talk about art, Ultima says that some artists admit defeat and stop trying to be original. Ellen Cherry disagrees with this and says artists always strive for originality. Why do you think this conversation inspires her to begin painting again?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The question is raised early on by Ellen Cherry whether a person can really be passionate about two things at once. Can she, for example, be both an artist and a wife? Where do you think Robbins (or Ellen Cherry) ultimately falls on this question? State your position and use at least three supporting examples to argue it.
Essay Topic 2
Over the course of this novel, Ellen Cherry undergoes many personal changes. When we first meet her, she is an artist. Soon, however, she is married and struggling both with her art and her marriage. Ultimately, she seems to come to terms with both. How does she manage to do this? In what ways does Ellen Cherry change and grow as a person throughout the novel?
Essay Topic 3
Explore the significance of the title. Ellen Cherry comments that Salome has skinny legs for a belly dancer. Why do you think that Robbins chose this as the defining moment of the novel?
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This section contains 1,598 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) |
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