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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. Where did Frank and Lucille go on their first date?

2. What does Arthur make Maddy for lunch in Section 1?

3. Where does Arthur place Mr. and Mrs. Hamburger in Section 2?

4. What type of flowers grow in front of Lucille's house that remind Arthur of Nola?

5. How many children does Frank have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the big news Maddy tells her father in Section 2, and how does he react?

2. What happens in the car when Anderson picks Maddy up in Section 1?

3. What does Arthur find on his porch in Section 2?

4. Who is Gordon and how did he come into Nola and Arthur's life?

5. What makes Lucille suddenly want to live to be 100 in Section 1?

6. How does Anderson respond to Maddy's pregnancy when she tells him, in Section 2?

7. What do we learn about Maddy's mom in Section 1?

8. How do Maddy and her father celebrate Maddy's birthday in Section 2?

9. How does Lucille's new relationship with Frank, in Section 2, change her?

10. What does Arthur find in his mail in Section 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, Arthur talks about his gardens and the importance of growing things. He even puts together a collection of children's stories about nature for the baby. How is nature a metaphor in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the theme of love in the novel. How is it expressed? What is Berg saying about Love?

Essay Topic 3

In Section 4, Lucille talks to Maddy and Arthur about her experience with happiness. She says, "I felt like some embodiment of happiness was sitting there, and I was afraid to look over at it. I was afraid it would go away. And then it talked. The happiness, it talked, it said, 'Look at me.' So I looked over. And happiness said, 'You're not looking at me. You're looking at you'" (171). What does this quote mean, and how does it highlight one of the key themes of the novel?

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This section contains 999 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample