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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. After hearing that Williams called Edgar, what does Mrs. Madrigal tell Edgar?

2. What happens when Norman and Mary Ann kiss?

3. Where does Brian pick up Candi?

4. When Michael says he "wants someone to buy a Christmas tree with," what does he mean?

5. Where does Norman tell Mary Ann that Mrs. Madrigal used to work?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Mona tells Michael that she is moving out?

2. Briefly recount the events that lead Mary Ann to meet Norman Neal Williams.

3. Where does DeDe go for a transformation?

4. What does the reader learn about the two characters when Brian talks with Michael in the courtyard while Michael is tanning before the contest?

5. Briefly summarize what happens to Brian at the Treasure Island Trailer Court.

6. The reader learns that Norman is a private investigator. What other information does the telephone conversation between him and Mrs. Ramsey reveal?

7. What do Mona and D'orothea argue about after Mona already moved in with D'orothea?

8. What information is revealed during the conversation with Mona and D'orothea's father at the factory?

9. Briefly discuss the parallels between Frannie's Great Dane and Edgar.

10. Why does Vincent take Mary Ann into account when he decides how to kill himself?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the several layers of meaning of the name of the pick up joint in "Brian Climbs the Walls," the Come Clean Laundromat. How is the name ironic? How does the name signify the reason that people go there?

Essay Topic 2

In what ways does Mary Ann assert her independence in the novel? In what ways does DeDe assert her independence? Are there similarities between the growth of these two female characters? What are they? Give specific examples of the growth and independence of Mary Ann and DeDe.

Essay Topic 3

The one nuclear family in the book include the Halcyons: Edgar, Frannie, DeDe, and Beauchamp (by marriage). How does the author portray this family? Based on this portrayal, what can the reader infer about the author's view of family?

(see the answer keys)

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