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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 exercise does Reta find repellent?

2. What does Reta bring Norah on the way to her appointment to have her eyebrows tinted?

3. What praise does Reta give Alexander Valkner about his article "The History of Dictionaries"?

4. What troubles Norah when she comes home one weekend her second year at university?

5. What do Tom and the girls see as a contradiction about the American event they are fixated on?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe life in the Winters' household.

2. What attempt does Reta make to bribe her daughter Norah to come home when she visits her on her street corner and how successful is she?

3. Describe Reta's feelings about the formation of her inner dialogue, the "longest conversation" that goes on in a lifetime in a person's mind.

4. Why is Reta reluctant to give Arthur Springer a first draft of her novel, and what does it reveal about her writing?

5. How do Natalie and Christine attempt to give the impression that Norah's absence is part of a normal routine?

6. Why does Reta view her trip to the library as a way of reconnecting with Norah?

7. Why does Reta initially think Norah's problems may have stemmed from her relationship with Ben Abbot?

8. During Norah's visit from university the previous year, Reta states that she knew how "wildly out control" Norah was, how "she'd become dangerous to her own being." Describe why Reta comes to this conclusion.

9. What are Reta's feelings about Tom and their sexual relationship?

10. Why does Danielle believe that Norah has embraced her powerlessness in society by living as a homeless person?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of conflict in "Unless." Discuss Reta's conflict with society. Discuss Norah's conflict with society.

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of language in "Unless"? Identify and discuss the following relationships and its significance for the characters:

1. Language and identity.

2. Language and truth.

3. Language and power.

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, Reta has several flashbacks about Norah in the weeks before her disappearance. Choose three memories and discuss what they reveal about Reta, Norah, and the nature of their relationship.

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This section contains 906 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample