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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. When Laura says that she wishes she were younger again when she used to not remember specifics of BOB's abuse, what does she say she HAD been aware of?

2. When Laura writes that "darkness in sex is okay, as long as it is strange, mysterious darkness," (116) what does she say is the kind of darkness that she does not enjoy?

3. What do Bobby and Laura do to celebrate New Year's Eve?

4. On New Year's Eve, Bobby tells Laura that he wants them to be together because they like each other and not for what other reason?

5. What is the only reason Laura agrees to start treating Bobby like a real boyfriend?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bobby end up shooting a man as Laura, Leo, and Bobby flee the gunfire at the drug dealer's house?

2. What is the significance of the list of 40 sets of initials within Laura's diary?

3. What retort does BOB give to Laura's idea to call the police and tell them about the abuse BOB is inflicting on her?

4. What is Laura's relationship with Johnny?

5. How is the theme of appearance versus reality evident in the scene in which Laura has just finished working on Donna's jacket and her mom comes into her room?

6. When BOB tells Laura she has become everything he predicted she would, what is her reply?

7. What action does Laura finally take when she is desperate to stop her cocaine withdrawals?

8. How does Laura feel about the way in which she escaped the dangerous situation after being kidnapped by three truckers on the highway?

9. How do Bobby and Laura spend New Year's Eve of 1987?

10. What happens in the only dream Laura has about her dad?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

In what ways does the novel provide a realistic depiction of how suffering sexual abuse can affect a young person's psyche and behavior. Include both concrete details from the novel and concrete details from your research in order to prove your claims.

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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