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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. Who runs the Book House?

2. Where are the two places on Laura's body that BOB makes tiny incisions during his abuse of her?

3. What is the address that Laura sees in her mind that compels her to go find its location?

4. How does Benjamin Horne, Laura's father's boss, treat Laura?

5. How old are the Canadian males with whom 13-year-old Laura and Donna bathe in the forest stream?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Laura feel during the sexual experience with Rick and Josh and how does her feeling relate to the sexual abuse to which she has been subjected?

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

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

4. 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?

5. 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?

6. What is the significance of Laura and Maddy's attempts to block the light coming from the house windows into their fort?

7. How does Laura respond to Maddy's offer to share some of her cigarettes with Donna and Laura on their night in the fort?

8. What does Laura say about her feelings after the escapade with the Canadian guys in the woods?

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 Laura say about why she loves her new diary?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the time lapses within the novel, particularly the ones that span months between diary entries. What purpose do those lapses serve and how do they support the reader's developing understanding of the changes occurring within Laura's persona? Back up your points with quotes from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Most scholars agree that confessional writing that gives voice to female characters can serve many different purposes. It can show off, it can entertain, it can satisfy the desire for voyeurism, it can absolve, it can shock, and it can make visible women's interior lives and social issues that need to be addressed. What is the main purpose of Lynch's The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer and is it in keeping with how the main audience views the novel's purpose? Back up your points using concrete details from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the significance of dreams within the novel. What is their purpose and which themes within the novel do they help to represent? Use quotes from the novel to support your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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