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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. In what town does Laura live?

2. To whom is Laura referring when she writes, "I think that the times that I have to go into the woods at night have poisoned me?" (55)

3. Laura's dream about the animal wanting to bite off her foot, Laura thinks that her mind is punishing her for what transgression?

4. How does Laura feel after her foray into the woods with the Canadians and with Donna?

5. While planning how to avoid further nightmares like her biting dream, Laura vows not to let anyone hurt her anymore. Instead, she vows to do what?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Maddy tells Laura and Donna what it feels like to kiss with tongues, Laura says the description makes her feel good inside, a feeling that she says is different. Though she cuts herself off from finishing her sentence, what does the reader know she is referring to?

2. What had Donna's and Laura's experience with alcohol been prior to their escapade into the woods with the three Canadian guys and the bottle of gin?

3. When Donna leaves the fort to go to the bathroom, Maddy uses the opportunity to tell Laura something. How do her comments depict the novel's theme of prophecy?

4. What method does Laura decide to use in order to drive BOB away and stop the sexual abuse he is inflicting on her?

5. What is Donna's and Laura's goal when they return to the Book House all dressed up in short skirts and made up faces?

6. How is the theme of hope represented in the poem Laura writes on July 30, 1984, entitled "Someday Growing Up Will Come Easier"? (14)

7. What does Donna do when Laura runs out of the house when they are discussing the breakdown of their friendship?

8. What is the significance of the moment when Donna finally shares her sexual fantasies with Laura?

9. When Laura decides to be a better person during Maddy's visit, what does Laura state is her plan for achieving this goal?

10. What does the Log Lady tell Laura in their meeting?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the novel's classification as a work within the bildungsroman genre. What messages is the author sending through her depiction of Laura's psychological and moral growth throughout her formative years? Include concrete details from the novel's diary entries to prove your claims.

Essay Topic 2

In what ways is Laura's character a walking paradox, particularly by the conclusion of the novel? What are these paradoxical qualities enlisted in order to express a particular message about the human condition and what is that message? Prove your claim with textual evidence from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

How does the reader's uncertainty about the true identity of Laura's abuser referred to as BOB ensure that Laura, the victim, will be the focal point of the story, rather than the abuser? How is this choice by the author a radical one and what message is it sending about the roles of abuser and abused within society? Prove your claims with quotes from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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