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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. The unnamed narrator used to mix what kind of alcohol with her coffee each morning, as portrayed within Santa Barbara, 2016?

2. During the unnamed narrator's adolescence, what is NOT mentioned as an object she and other young women were urged to carry?

3. The unnamed narrator believes that people confide in her because she is "good at keeping" what "quiet" (167)?

4. What adjective did the unnamed narrator use to describe her husband John in a conversation with her one-night stand?

5. What is NOT one of the feelings the unnamed narrator had toward John after she confessed to her infidelity?

Short Essay Questions

1. What three feelings does the unnamed narrator recall feeling when John expressed interest in marriage counseling?

2. How does Popkey employ a metaphor to indicate the pain the unnamed narrator caused John with her infidelity?

3. What tactics did the unnamed narrator use to help herself summon enthusiasm about pursuing a pregnancy with John?

4. What are the contents of the story that the woman in Santa Barbara told the unnamed narrator as they swam in the ocean?

5. In what way does the unnamed narrator find her previous view of intimacy problematic?

6. Describe the difference between the unnamed narrator's view of therapy in 2014 and her current view.

7. What act does the unnamed narrator describe as having been attractive due to its promise of "finite pleasure" (180)?

8. What worldview did Fran express during her tirade depicted in Fresno, 2014 and how does the narrator now view Fran's comments?

9. For what reason did the unnamed narrator decide not to become friends with Dominique?

10. Discuss the stream-of-consciousness style in which Topics of Conversation is written.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose an object from Topics of Conversation, such as the hedge maze, alcoholic drinks, or some other symbolic object and discuss its overall meaning and its connection to themes within the text.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the effects of stress on the novel's characters and the coping methods each character uses to deal with emotional turmoil. Which characters' methods are effective, which are ineffective, and how do these varying levels of efficiency affect the messages sent by Topics of Conversation within the text?

Essay Topic 3

Popkey begins the text with an excerpt from a journal entry written by Sylvia Plath. Explain how this poem excerpt relates to the text and how it reflects the text’s themes.

(see the answer keys)

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