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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 Catherine try to end her relationship with Sughrue?

2. When did Trahearne become unable to write?

3. When Sughrue arrives home after leaving Stacy, what does he find?

4. What do Stacy and Sughrue spend a couple days doing after the ordeal at Hyland's home?

5. When did Catherine fall in love with Trahearne?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why would Melinda tell Sughrue he doesn't know her at all?

2. According to Catherine, what is Trahearne and Melinda's marriage like?

3. What is Trahearne's failure to write symbolic of? How?

4. How is Catherine's sexual relationship with Sughrue manipulative?

5. Has Trahearne been fair to Sughrue, in his use of Sughrue's investigative skills?

6. Why would Torres still demand the forty thousand dollars from Melinda?

7. Why would Sughrue make a superficial joke about Catherine''s age?

8. Why would Selma have lied to Sughrue about Betty Sue's death?

9. Why does Melinda offer herself to Sughrue?

10. Why does Trahearne start drinking again?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sughrue describes Melinda's sculptures many times and realizes there is a connection between Melinda and her art. How do these sculptures parallel Melinda?

Essay Topic 2

Sughrue and Trahearne develop a relationship that changes as the novel progresses. These two men can be further explored due to their complexity. Compare and contrast Sughrue and Trahearne.

Essay Topic 3

Has Sughrue changed as the novel ends? Look at his actions at the very beginning of the novel and at the end that both take place at Rosie's.

(see the answer keys)

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