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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 postcards did Stavros send Fern while he was gone?

2. What girl did Lucille hope could get a scholarship at a culinary school in Boston?

3. In Chapter 11, how long had it been since Mal had given Felicity to Fenno?

4. In what part of New York was Tony's apartment?

5. Who in Tony's family was blind?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 13, where did Fenno go with Lucinda on a Friday evening?

2. In Chapter 11, why do David and Fenno go through the trash from the dinner that was held after Paul's memorial service?

3. What photos does Lucinda show after dinner in Chapter 9 and what is her relationship to the people in the photos?

4. In Chapter 10, how were the readings at the bookstore?

5. What did Lucinda say about Mal as she rode home from the benefit with Fenno?

6. What has Fern learned about Tony throughout the years she has known him?

7. Why did Fenno go to Paris in Chapter 12?

8. What are David and Lil doing when Fenno goes to see them at the clinic in Chapter 10?

9. What did Mal spend his time doing at the beginning of Chapter 13?

10. Why did Mal retire?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Happiness is important for Paul and for Fenno. How are the two men looking for happiness? Do either man achieve happiness? If so, how do they attain it?

Essay Topic 2

David and Lillian ask Fenno to be a sperm donor. How does the request affect Fenno’s relationship with his brother and his wife? How does the request affect Fenno’s outlook on life?

Essay Topic 3

The author said that love depends “upon an ecosystem, a context.” What is meant by that phrase? In what ways is the delicacy of love revealed in the novel? Is love still attainable in spite of its fragility?

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