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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 feels as if Henry is taking what action when he makes her promise to keep his secret?

2. By the time Chapter Four opens, Henry's anxiety has grown to the point where he is washing Iris with what object?

3. Henry confesses to Lizzie in Chapter Three that he is having bad thoughts about which character?

4. Lizzie states of Henry in Chapter Four, "My brother never seems to" take what action "anymore" (158)?

5. What show does Lizzie put on for Henry in Chapter Four, calling it a "soothing hour of television" (155)?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does Offill use the character of Lorraine to demonstrate the frustration felt by many Americans in the wake of the 2016 election?

2. What purpose does Offill have in mind when including the detail that Catherine always gets home from work at seven in the evening?

3. What is "milling" (129) in the context of the field called Disaster Psychology?

4. What drastic step does Sylvia decide to take in Chapter Four?

5. What political event has just occurred when Chapter Three begins?

6. What problem does Henry share with Lizzie in Chapter Three?

7. How does Ben feel about the results of the election and how does Offill provide this information to the reader?

8. For what reason does Offill allude to C.S. Lewis's novel Prince Caspian in Chapter Four?

9. Describe two incidents that demonstrate Lizzie's concern about the growing feelings of hate in the wake of Trump's election.

10. For what reason does Lizzie stay home during the three weeks of Ben and Eli's absence in Chapter Four?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the role of family within the text Weather: A Novel. What types of family relationships are represented and how does Offill use their variety to inform many of the work's themes?

Essay Topic 2

What message does Offill send within the pages of Weather: A Novel concerning the link between climate change and the end of humanity?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Offill’s messages concerning security and certainty. Does the text indicate that these elements are dangerous or crucial? Choose one adjective and prove its validity using concrete details from the text.

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