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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. Who is the so-called "Serial Stowaway" whose stories Sam follows?

2. In Chapter 5, what does Sam witness that makes her feel intensely lonely?

3. What does Sam think happens to her after the rally when she is home alone?

4. Where does Sam often go for local news?

5. Why does Joe not really want to go to the State Fair with Ally?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Ally end up in the ER when she was 15?

2. What are some of Ally's emerging doubts about Joe's work?

3. What does Ally come to realize about the conflicting nature of her feelings for Joe?

4. Why does Sam decide not to confront Ally at the fair?

5. In Part III, why does Lily tell Sam she does not want to talk about details of her illness?

6. What does Ally tell Joe about her mother's open mic routine?

7. What does Sam think is a bit unseemly about the general American obsession with physical optimization and self-improvement in Part III?

8. In Part III, what exercise does Sam start doing and how does it make her feel?

9. What is the most serious of Sam's "rage events"?

10. What does Ally think about the likelihood of her father figuring out her affair?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What parallels does Spiotta draw between the upheaval in American political and cultural life and in Sam's own life? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

What role do politics and ideology seem to play in Sam's and Matthew's relationship, from the beginning to their separation? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Sam's stroke end up affecting all of her relationships, as well as her own perception of herself and her future? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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This section contains 766 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample