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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 does Patrick mean by "Chance follows design"?

2. What happens on the first day of summer in the chapter titled, "On My Own"?

3. On the morning following her trip to the funeral, what does Abelove ask Marianne about Hewie?

4. What happens to Corrine's antiques?

5. What does Judd reply when his mother tells him that his father loves him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What can be said about Michael Sr.'s life after he leaves Corrine?

2. While he waits for Zach Lundt to come out of the Cobb's Corner bar, who besides Zach Lundt does Patrick also think about shooting?

3. At what kind of place in her life is Corrine as she plans for the Fourth of July celebration in 1993?

4. Why, if Abelove loves Marianne, doesn't he search harder for her after she leaves?

5. Why does Mike Jr. visit his father in Rochester?

6. Why does Marianne run away from the Green Isle Co-Op without a word to anyone?

7. What does Corrine mean by Marianne's rag-quilt life?

8. What makes Patrick decide to let Zach live?

9. What is the nightmare about that awakens a terrified Patrick just fifteen days before his plan to confront Zach Lundt?

10. Why, after Marianne admits she is in love with Abelove, doesn't she want to accept his proposal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the reasons Marianne leaves her job at the Co-Op? What are her reasons for leaving her job with Miss Hagstrom? Compare the reasons. Are there any common denominators that might explain what is going on inside Marianne's head at those points in the story? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

There were many nicknames for the characters in the novel. What can be told about each of the characters at various points in their lives by the nicknames that are used?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the novel, "We Were the Mulvaneys." Is it a dark novel filled with tragedy, or is it a novel of light and hope? In what ways does the novel contrast between the two?

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