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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Miss Oates?

2. Where does Maureen write her letters?

3. Why does Jim find himself attracted to Maureen?

4. What does Maureen want to do to Jim?

5. Who is Vera?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jules is involved with a series of women in his life, each of them very different from the others. Who are these women? Do they have one thing in common that attracts Jules to them? If so, what is it? How healthy are these relationships? What does each of these women have to offer Jules? What do they each take from him? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Maureen went to college in hopes of bettering her situation. Did she get what she wanted? If her plan was to marry someone who could take care of her, why bother going to college? Do you think she was better off with the choice she made, to marry Jim and have him take care of her? Or do you think it would have been better if she had finished school, gotten a job, and taken care of herself? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Brock is a minor character in the novel, but he plays an important role. He is the reason why Loretta meets and marries Howard, and he is also the one to bring Maureen out of her catatonia. How can these two very dissimilar actions--his murder of Bernie, and his role in Maureen's recovery--be resolved in terms of his character? Why do you think the author chooses to assign both of these important, and very different, actions to a single character? Knowing all that you do about Brock, what is your opinion of his character? Why do you think he disappears from the plot so suddenly? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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This section contains 402 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample