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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. What does Mr. Lisbon talk about with the neighborhood fathers who come to visit?

2. What do the Lisbons and Trip watch on TV?

3. What does Mr. Lisbon attempt to flush down the toilet?

4. What appears in the window of Cecilia's old bedroom?

5. What spring activity do the girls not attend as usual?

Short Essay Questions

1. What rebellious activities does Lux engage in?

2. How does Mr. Lisbon's behavior at school change after Cecilia's suicide?

3. How did Lux's date end?

4. What is Dr. Hornicker's opinion of Lux after meeting with her in the hospital?

5. Why is Trip so flummoxed by his attraction to Lux?

6. What is Mrs. Lisbon's reaction to Lux's disobedience?

7. Describe Mary Lisbon's favorite way to pass time during the imprisonment.

8. Describe the state of the Lisbons' basement on June 15th.

9. What was the media's first reaction to Cecilia's suicide, and why?

10. How did the Lisbons deal with their friends' and neighbors' offers of sympathy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the days leading up to and including the multiple suicides, the boys go through a wide variety of emotions. How do the girls' actions affect them? Are the girls leading them along, or are the boys truly emotionally invested? Do they only feel what the girls intend them to? What is their final conclusion as they stare at Bonnie's body hanging from a rafter?

Essay Topic 2

The Virgin Suicides is full of sexual and religious symbolism. Please choose at least three major symbols and explain their significance to the story and relation to one another, and explain how these two seemingly disparate subjects intertwine.

Essay Topic 3

Please discuss the use and effectiveness of foreshadowing throughout the novel. How does Eugenides use it to set the tone? How does it affect the reader? Is it effective? Please explain your answer.

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