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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 is the first subject Reta and her writer friends discuss at the Orange Blossom Room?

2. What draft does Arthur ask Reta to send him?

3. What do the Winters do when they discover where Norah sleeps at night?

4. What two languages are spoken during Reta's childhood?

5. What is the subject of the new book Tom is reading?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Reta realize that she cannot create a perfect woman as a hero in her novel?

2. Describe the response of the Winters' family to seeing the hostel where Norah stays and its significance.

3. 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.

4. Describe life in the Winters' household.

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

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

7. Why does the memory of shopping for the perfect scarf for Norah haunt Reta as a "big female secret" and what does the scarf represent?

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

9. What does Reta do each month that indicates her attempt to live up to an idea of "goodness?"

10. Why does Arthur love Alicia as a character and why is it significant?

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

Healing, both physical and psychological, is significant to the characters' recovery in the novel. Identify the ways in which the Winters family heals from the stress and trauma over the past year.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 813 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample