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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. Where does Jeannette live in Part 1 of the book?

2. What happens to greatly improve Lori's situation at school and home?

3. What kind of work does Rex do while they are in Arizona?

4. What happens when the Walls children begin school in Phoenix?

5. Jeannette's parents believe that children need:

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Rose Mary try to make the family's Christmas in Phoenix special, and what happens to ruin it for them all?

2. What feelings does Jeannette have when she first sees her mother from afar in Part 1?

3. How do Lori and Jeannette help take responsibility for the new baby, Maureen, on the trip to their new home in Part 2?

4. What is Rex's reaction to Rose Mary's plan to travel to West Virginia and what happens when the family gets ready to go?

5. How does Rose Mary's philosophy of life make it difficult for her to hold a job?

6. What event happened the day that Rose Mary and Rex met, that Rex says caused him to fall in love with her?

7. What are some of the unorthodox ways that the Walls parents get money and items for the house?

8. Rose Mary and Jeannette have very different views of the world. Why does Rose Mary tell Jeannette that her values are "all confused"?

9. Why does Rex dislike staying with Rose Mary's mother (Grandma Smith)?

10. What incident precipitates the family's leaving Battle Mountain for Phoenix?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rose Mary tells Jeannette, as an adult, that her values are "all confused." What does Rose Mary mean?

1) How does Rose Mary view Jeannette's life and career?

2) What are Rose Mary's values like and how do Jeannette's differ?

3) What values or ideas do you think that they agree on? What is important to both of them?

Essay Topic 2

Rose Mary describes herself as an "excitement addict" at one point in the book. How does Rose Mary view herself?

Discuss:

1) What does she mean when she says that she is an excitement addict? Give examples of her behavior that support this view of herself.

2) How does she justify her behavior when it threatens her children's well-being?

3) What is her philosophy of life and how does it influence her parenting style?

Essay Topic 3

One of the author's earliest memories is of being badly burned while she is cooking by herself as a small child. She spends several weeks in the hospital, during which time she is not unhappy. In fact, she responds to the incident in a calm manner that belies her age.

1) What are Jeannette's memories of the incident? How does she react to the staff at the hospital?

2) How does Jeannette respond to the staff when they tell her that she is going to be all right?

3) What is her father's response to the incident? Do you find it surprising, or is it typical of him?

4) What do both Jeannette's and her parents' way of dealing with this incident say about each of their personalities and ways of approaching life?

(see the answer keys)

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