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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. Lizzie refers to Eli's obsessive thoughts with the use of which term?

2. How many days of school are left for Eli by the time Chapter One comes to a close?

3. Chapter One takes place in which month?

4. Henry gets a job working for what kind of company in Chapter One?

5. Lizzie cites a study asserting that how many of the world's richest billionaires own as many assets as half of humanity?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the protagonist's immediate family as depicted in Chapter One of Weather: A Novel.

2. Discuss an instance when the motif of dreams enters the narrative of Chapter Two.

3. What is "looping," (43) according to Lizzie?

4. What time of year is it by the time Chapter One comes to a close?

5. For what reason does Offill include Mohan's opinions about the upcoming election in Chapter Two?

6. What new development occurs in Henry's life in Chapter One?

7. What is Hell and High Water and how does Lizzie get involved with it?

8. Who is Sylvia?

9. Characterize the relationship between Lizzie and her brother Henry.

10. What is the significance of William Derham's 1711 quote, when viewed in the context of Sylvia's hope for the future?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the ways in which the themes of adaptability and resignation appear within Offill’s novel Weather: A Novel. What message is Offill sending about these two themes over the course of the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Examine Offill’s use of characterization methods to portray Lizzie’s brother Henry within the narrative. What effects do these characterization methods have on the themes and messages inherent in Weather: A Novel?

Essay Topic 3

What is the function of Eli’s character within the novel? Discuss the characterization methods used by Offill in depicting Eli and include in your discussion the reasons that Offill portrays Lizzie’s son in these particular ways.

(see the answer keys)

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