Print
Word
PDF
|
| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What rationale does Reta offer about Norah's strange behavior in her letter to Valkner?
2. What is the name of the hostel Reta writes a check to each month?
3. What days does Reta drive to Toronto to see Norah?
4. What word does Norah have written on the cardboard sign on her chest?
5. What subjects are Christine and Natalie studying for their exams?
Short Essay Questions
1. How does the American election results in Florida that Tom, Christine, and Natalie watch relate to Norah's absence?
2. Describe Reta's peculiar behavior when she visits Norah in early November.
3. Describe Reta Winter's thoughts and feelings as the novel opens.
4. Why does Norah make the sarcastic observation in her letter to Alexander Valkner that he must have suffered from extreme fatigue when he thought of his list of "literary big cats"?
5. Describe life in the Winters' household.
6. Why does Reta initially think Norah's problems may have stemmed from her relationship with Ben Abbot?
7. Describe Norah's thoughts about the two main characters in her novel, and why they are significant.
8. Why is Reta reluctant to give Arthur Springer a first draft of her novel, and what does it reveal about her writing?
9. 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.
10. When does Reta's mind begin to wander and what does she think of during dinner with Tom's physicist friend, Colin Glass?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Compare and contrast Reta and Danielle's views on women, responding to the following questions:
1. What observations do Reta and Danielle make about society's perception of women?
2. How do Reta and Danielle feel about the roles women have in society?
Essay Topic 2
Discuss the plot and subplot of the novel, including the rising action, climax, and resolution for both.
Essay Topic 3
Discuss Shields' portrayal of the media in the novel, responding to the following questions:
1. What role does the media have in advancing the plot?
2. What is Reta's relationship to the media?
3. Is it an amicable or hostile relationship and why?
|
This section contains 846 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
|
