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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. What does Jacques give Laura for Christmas?

2. What reason does Bobby give for slamming on his brakes and spinning the truck on the way to the drug dealer's house?

3. Who steals a kilo of cocaine from the drug dealer's house?

4. Where does Jacques hide Laura's Christmas present so she can find it when he tells her to?

5. What action does Bobby take to solve the problem that occurs during their flight away from the gunfight at the drug dealer's house?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

3. How does Laura feel after the party at which she won a sexual bet and hung around with people ten years older?

4. What is the significance of the incident in which Laura runs over a little girl's cat?

5. What shocking act does Laura perform at the party to win a $100 bet?

6. What is the significance of the first sentence that Johnny speaks aloud?

7. How does BOB know the details of the orgy that Laura attended?

8. What behavior of Laura's is particularly worrisome to Laura's mom and what does Laura plan to do about it?

9. What happens at the Double R Diner on Christmas Eve that makes Laura feel victorious?

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

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

Discuss how the theme of appearance versus reality is demonstrated within the novel and state the message the author is sending about this topic. Back up your argumentative points with quotes from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Perform a psychoanalytical criticism of the novel, grounding your analysis in Laura's writings within her diary. Include quotes from both the novel and from scholarly sources focused on psychoanalytical techniques.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,265 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample