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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. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of Nell's intentions when she tells Token to call the police if they do not come back out of Scarlett's building?

2. What falls out of the file that Aaron Neeley is carrying in Chapter Fourteen?

3. In Chapter Sixteen, whom is Token with when he leaves his apartment and Francie begins following him?

4. Whom does Francie run into at IKEA?

5. Where has Colette gotten the names of some potential therapists for Francie?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Colette and Nell see Winnie's interview with the police, what causes them to worry about Winnie's mental health?

2. What does Francie read in Scarlett's journal, and what does this journal entry make clear to the reader?

3. What is ironic about Nell's boss's attitude when he is asking Nell about the magazine cover?

4. In Chapter Fifteen, what promise does the narrator remember making and then immediately breaking?

5. When Francie talks to Token in his apartment, what does she learn about his relationship, and how is this information expanded on later, when the narrative shifts to Token's perspective?

6. Where did Token get the papers that he gives to Falk, and how have his intentions regarding these papers shifted since he gained possession of them?

7. How does Francie injure herself when she is following Token?

8. In Chapter Thirteen, what confusion does Nell express about her mental state on the night of July 4th?

9. What item is delivered to all three women--Nell, Francie, and Colette--and what does it contain?

10. When Francie enters Winnie's home, what is the detail that she "can't help but notice," and what does this detail imply (265)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the characterization of Scarlett as the novel's villain support the novel's thematic concerns with the role of women in American society? How is her childhood impacted by domestic violence? How does the predatory relationship with her therapist relate to her gender? In what sense is her sex responsible for her bearing a consequence for that relationship that Dr. H does not bear? How does the value that society places on motherhood impact her when she loses her child? What do her final scenes in the novel convey about social pressures on women? Write an essay that analyzes what messages about women's roles are conveyed by the characterization of Scarlett. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text; be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

How are the heterosexual relationships in The Perfect Mother similar to and different from the same-sex friendships portrayed in the novel? Consider the variety and complexity of the current partnerships between the women and their children's fathers as well as the women's previous sexual and romantic relationships. Also think about the number of abusive or coercive encounters with men that the main female characters have had, and consider what message these are conveying. Write an essay that compares and contrasts the qualities of the female friendships and the heterosexual romantic/sexual relationships portrayed in the novel. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text; be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

What messages about the media does Molloy convey in The Perfect Mother? Is there any irony in the fact that Molloy is making money and building a reputation by writing about kidnapping and murder, just as Faith makes money and builds her reputation by talking about kidnapping and murder on her show, or is there an important distinction between these two kinds of media? How do the high stakes of a murder investigation intensify the outcomes of Faith's journalistic decisions? How does the text's overall depiction of the press coverage of the investigation support the same messages as its depiction of Patricia Faith? How does the text's depiction of press coverage of Nell's relationship with Lachlan Raine also support these messages? Write an essay in which you take and defend a position about the messages that The Perfect Mother sends about the media. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text; be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.

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