View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Arthur, Roman is an ___________ and ___________ character.

2. What does Lois tell Arthur she attended many years ago?

3. According to Tom, what is the cause of the condition of Norah's hands?

4. Who is Dennis Ford-Halpern?

5. What is the name of the place Reta meets her friends on Tuesdays?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Reta, why is goodness not a guaranteed virtue?

2. Why does Reta feel that Arthur's suggestion to focus on Roman instead of Alicia is an egregious one?

3. What issue does Reta take with Emily Helt's book review in the Chicago Tribune?

4. In her letter about the death of Peter Harding, how does Reta compare herself to Norah?

5. Why does Reta sign her letter to Dennis Ford-Halpern, "Yours, Rita Orange d'Ville"?

6. What does Reta and Tom's walk in Orangetown cemetery represent?

7. Why don't the Winters' want to discuss the fact that Norah probably gave her Christmas package away?

8. What is Reta's central point in her letter to Helt?

9. What rationale does Reta offer about the importance of novels despite moral injustice in the world?

10. How does the staff's response at the hostel regarding Norah's gloves indicate her invisibility as a street person?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of setting in the novel, responding to the following questions:

1. What facts about the city of Toronto relate directly or indirectly to the lives of the characters?

2. What facts about the time in which the novel is set, 2000-2001, relate directly or indirectly to the novel's themes and overall meaning?

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

Discuss the tone of "Unless," responding to the following questions:

1. How does the tone of the novel exemplify the emotional state of the characters?

2. Does the tone shift or change throughout the novel? Where and how?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 677 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample