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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. 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?

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

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

4. When Maddy tells Donna and Laura what it is like to have a period, what is NOT one thing she mentions?

5. When Maddy tells Laura and Donna that she has brought cigarettes with her, what reason does she give for them being stale?

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

3. How does Laura feel when she tries smoking for the first time?

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

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

6. 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?

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

8. What event occurs that results in Laura's meeting with the Log Lady?

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Explicate the novel's use of the theme of appearance versus reality. Create a claim that states the author's message regarding this theme. Use specific scenes from the novel to support your claim.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Donna's role as a foil within the novel. How does her character slowly emerge as a foil to Laura's character and what is the author trying to achieve with the juxtaposition of those two characters? Prove your claims with textual evidence from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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