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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. When do Didion and her husband decide to go home?

2. What did the monster do in the movie?

3. Where does Didion visit in this essay?

4. Who does Didion say the mother talks to about the kidnapping?

5. With what does Didion say Sacramento Valley's history started?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the history of Sacramento.

2. Why is Didion finding Los Angeles depressing in this essay?

3. Describe Alcatraz Island as depicted in this essay.

4. How do the Los Angeles citizens know when the Santa Ana winds are about to blow?

5. Describe Didion's time in Guaymas.

6. What does Didion think of Newport Beach?

7. Why does Didion think no one can truly define what is moral?

8. How do the scientists think the Santa Ana winds work to cause psychological changes?

9. Summarize the book.

10. What problems does Didion face when she and her husband visit her family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a 500-word essay addressing the following statement: None of Didion's peers challenge her beliefs and, because of that, her essays do not express any new ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the book as a whole.

1) What is the central argument of the book?

2) How are the essays arranged to construct this argument?

Essay Topic 3

What influence did the hippie movement have on the following areas:

1) Politics

2) Literature and art

3) Family

(see the answer keys)

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