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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. How does Reta sign her letter to Ford-Halpern?

2. What does Reta notice on Norah's wrists?

3. Why does Arthur state that he thinks of the final chapter as the "kiln?"

4. Who has been appointed to a university Chair in Theology?

5. In her letter about the obituary in the Globe and Mail, what kind of days does Reta write that she is going through?

Short Essay Questions

1. As Reta and Arthur have their heated discussion, what three things happen that interrupt them that provide comic relief to the serious conversation?

2. What is Lois's true opinion of what happened to Norah that she is afraid to express?

3. When Tom calls to inform Reta that Norah is in the hospital, how does the point of view change in the novel?

4. When Reta and Tom consult a psychiatrist about Norah, what does he tell them and how do they respond?

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

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

7. Why does Reta call Dennis Ford-Halpern's omission of women in his book "The Goodness Gap" a "moral dilemma in itself"?

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

9. At the hospital, what does Natalie reveal about the injuries to Norah's hands?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role that faith plays in the novel. What are the differences between personal and religious faith? Discuss Reta's views on faith.

Essay Topic 2

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?

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 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample