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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. What does Daphne say she loses faith in?

2. Why does Daphne say she can only have one beer at Antelope Meadows?

3. What story does Alice first tell Daphne, about how her husband died?

4. What does Daphne compare motherhood to?

5. How does Alice get Honey to let go of Daphne’s hair?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Alice’s relationship with Mark and Yarrow?

2. How does Daphne decide to leave Altavista?

3. What are Daphne’s and Alice’s different views about Daphne’s idea of going to the town where Ellery and Maryam had their accident?

4. What is the crisis that comes to a head when Daphne speaks to Engin after dinner out with Alice?

5. How does Alice explain the death of her children?

6. What kind of prayer does Daphne offer up for Alice after Alice has died?

7. Why does Daphne say that it would be impossible for her to work from Altavista?

8. How do Daphne and Alice end up joining forces for the trip to Camp Cooville?

9. Why does Daphne have a hard time making conversation with Alice?

10. What is the authorities’ response to the State of Jefferson movement?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is the audience for The Golden State? What is the ideal reader for The Golden State likely to think about the book’s main topics? How does this book try to affect the reader? What is it trying to teach him or her, or get him or her to do?

Essay Topic 2

What is missing from this book? What should have been covered or presented that was not? What is the effect of this absence? Describe an element that ought to have been covered, and explain why it would have made the book stronger.

Essay Topic 3

Why is it hard to talk to people who have been through extremely hard trials? What is it that makes conversation tricky? What are the unspoken assumptions and fears that threaten to stifle conversation? What are some strategies a person could use, to carry on conversation that respects the suffering without inflaming it?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,113 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample