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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 many natural miscarriages did Francie have before she got pregnant with Will?
2. Where does Nell go right after she leaves the clothing store in Chapter Eight?
3. Why does Nell's partner object to the babysitter Nell hired?
4. What is Nell's line of work?
5. What news does Colette reveal to the May Mothers at the park in Chapter Two?
Short Essay Questions
1. While Colette is out running in Chapter Eight, what source of comfort is she wishing for, and why can she not get it?
2. When Colette takes the Midas file for the second time, what does she see that links her to the case and what does she do with it?
3. What does Nell have tattooed on her arm, and what does it mean to her?
4. In Chapter Nine, what has changed about the narrator's situation?
5. In Chapter Eight, what memory does Nell suddenly have related to smoking?
6. How does Chapter One hint at trouble in the narrator's childhood?
7. What does Francie mention having seen on Patricia Faith's television show, and how does Nell react?
8. What is Nell's theory about Token, and why does Colette believe Nell is probably mistaken?
9. How does Bodhi Mogaro's attorney explain away the evidence against Mogaro?
10. What do the Prologue and Chapter One make clear was the father's reaction to the narrator's pregnancy, and why?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Francie's financial circumstances make her particularly susceptible to stressors like Midas's disappearance. Now that you have finished the book, though, you also know that Francie's sensitivities are what lead to the recovery of Midas. Is this simply a matter of the characterization of Francie, or is the book making a larger point about the costs and benefits of being at the center versus being at the margins? Do Nell's and Colette's relative security make them less sensitive to what is happening around them? Write an essay that considers this larger picture of whether or not the text is arguing that financial security can contribute to less awareness of others. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text; be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.
Essay Topic 2
In The Perfect Mother, both police and politicians are subjected to criticism from the media and the public. In what sense do the characterizations of Teb Shepherd and Mark Hoyt dispute the public's judgment? What does the eventual revelation of Nell's past involvement with Lachlan Raine contribute to the novel's portrait of politicians? How do the media and public reactions to Raine complicate the novel's picture of the public perception of politicians? Are politicians in this novel being judged more harshly than the police are? Write an essay that analyzes the novel's perspective on politicians and the police. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text; be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.
Essay Topic 3
Now that you have finished the book, you are aware of the sequence of events that led Scarlett to kidnap Midas and what Scarlett hoped would be the result of her actions. How does this relate to Midas's name? What elements of the King Midas story do you see reflected in Scarlett's choices and their outcomes? In the original story, the audience is meant to judge King Midas for his greed and lack of forethought--but does Molloy seem to be encouraging her reader to judge Scarlett in this way? What mitigating effect does Scarlett's state of mind have on the reader's judgment of her? How do the social pressures on women that this book explores provide an additional mitigating factor? Write an essay in which you explore how Molloy intends the reader to interpret the allusion to King Midas. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text; be sure to cite any quoted evidence and evidence drawn from outside sources in MLA format.
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This section contains 1,155 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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