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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the narrator, what showed things as they really were?

2. The lover fears that the narrator only wants his _______.

3. Where do the narrator and the lover first engage in sexual intercourse?

4. What type of people were attracted to the houses the narrator describes in segment 14?

5. What does the mother compare her daughter's diamond ring to?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are four female characters in this novel. Discuss the role of women in the novel and their relationship and interaction with one another. What are the defining relationships in the novel and what do we learn from them?

Essay Topic 2

The author chooses to write her novel in a form of narrative style that shifts back and forth in time. What are the effects of this kind of writing? How does this narrative style aid the reader in the comprehension of the novel? Is this type of narrative style ineffective for writing a novel dealing with such a lengthy period of time?

Essay Topic 3

The relationship between the mother and the daughter, the narrator, in the novel is very interesting, though highly dysfunctional. Describe this relationship. How does the nature of the relationship affect the personality or character traits of the narrator? How does the relationship between mother and daughter affect the narrator's early and later life? Why is it difficult for the narrator to remember her mother later in life?

(see the answer keys)

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