Quiz Half His Age Jennette McCurdy

Half His Age Quiz: 20 Questions to Test Your Understanding

This quiz spans the entire arc of Half His Age—from the opening breakup with Randy Julep to the final solitary drive to Seward. Questions are divided into plot, character motivation, theme/symbol, and synthesis. Choose the best answer for multiple-choice items or write a short response where indicated. After you finish, check the answer key for explanations.

If you need to refresh your memory, visit our book overview, questions and answers, or ending explained.

Quiz Questions

Plot & Sequence (8 questions)

  1. (Multiple Choice) In Chapter 20, what causes Waldo to kiss Mr. Korgy during their walk?

    • A) Mr. Korgy confesses his love
    • B) Waldo slips on ice
    • C) Waldo wants to seduce him
    • D) Mr. Korgy asks for a kiss

  2. (Multiple Choice) After Mr. Korgy leaves his wife, where do he and Waldo stay first?

    • A) The Bird Creek Motel
    • B) A loft apartment
    • C) The Captain Cook hotel
    • D) Waldo’s childhood home

  3. (Multiple Choice) When Mr. Korgy returns from a two-week absence (his father died), what does Waldo do?

    • A) Confronts him in class
    • B) Goes to his classroom and straddles him
    • C) Ignores him completely
    • D) Reports him to the principal

  4. (Multiple Choice) Which of the following is the correct chronological order?

    • A) Breakup with Randy Julep → Dinner at Korgy’s → Coffee shop meeting → Cleaning-closet sex
    • B) Dinner at Korgy’s → Breakup with Randy → Cleaning-closet sex → Coffee shop meeting
    • C) Breakup with Randy → Coffee shop meeting → Dinner at Korgy’s → Cleaning-closet sex
    • D) Cleaning-closet sex → Dinner at Korgy’s → Breakup with Randy → Coffee shop meeting

  5. (Multiple Choice) What signals the decline of Waldo and Korgy’s relationship after they move in together?

    • A) Mr. Korgy loses his teaching job
    • B) Waldo’s mother demands she leave him
    • C) Sex becomes mechanical and Waldo dissociates
    • D) They move to a cheaper apartment

  6. (Multiple Choice) Where does Waldo head at the very end of the book, after abandoning the Hawaii trip?

    • A) Seward
    • B) Her mother’s house
    • C) Back to Korgy
    • D) Frannie’s farewell party

  7. (Short Answer) In Chapter 13, what does Waldo do with the sticky notes from her mother?

  8. (Short Answer) What is the name of the substitute teacher who takes over Mr. Korgy’s class in Chapter 23?

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. (Multiple Choice) Why does Waldo become so drawn to Mr. Korgy in the creative writing class?

    • A) She is a passionate writer
    • B) She is instantly attracted to his honesty and vulnerability
    • C) She wants a good grade
    • D) Her mother encourages the interest

  2. (Multiple Choice) Why does Mr. Korgy reject Waldo’s first kiss?

    • A) He is not attracted to her
    • B) He is afraid of losing his job, marriage, and student–teacher boundaries
    • C) He is gay
    • D) He thinks she is too old

  3. (Multiple Choice) Why does Waldo’s mother decide to attend Sex and Love Anonymous meetings?

    • A) Her boyfriend Tony forces her
    • B) She realizes she is a love addict after the breakup with Tony
    • C) Waldo suggests it
    • D) She wants to make new friends

  4. (Multiple Choice) Why does Waldo lie to her boss to leave work in Chapter 20?

    • A) To go to a party
    • B) To meet Mr. Korgy for a walk
    • C) To go shopping
    • D) To visit her mother

  5. (Short Answer) In Chapter 67, what reason does Waldo give for ending the relationship with Mr. Korgy?

Theme & Symbol (4 questions)

  1. (Multiple Choice) Mr. Korgy’s broken messenger-bag strap is used as a symbol of what?

    • A) His financial struggles
    • B) Imperfection and endurance
    • C) His broken marriage
    • D) His lack of care

  2. (Multiple Choice) The sticky notes Waldo’s mother leaves for her function primarily as symbols of:

    • A) Maternal love and care
    • B) Consumerism
    • C) Emotional manipulation
    • D) Financial insecurity

  3. (Multiple Choice) Throughout the book, Waldo’s compulsive online shopping and buying sprees represent:

    • A) Financial freedom
    • B) Emotional emptiness and escapism
    • C) Rebellion against her mother
    • D) Genuine self-improvement

  4. (Short Answer) What does the title Half His Age principally refer to?

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. (Short Answer) Compare Waldo’s relationship with Mr. Korgy to her mother’s pattern with men. What shared behavior do they exhibit?

  2. (Short Answer) How does Waldo’s understanding of herself change from the beginning to the end of the book?

  3. (Short Answer) What does the author imply about “forbidden love” through Waldo and Korgy’s story?

Answer Key

1. B – Waldo slips on ice and, in that moment, impulsively kisses Mr. Korgy. (Chapter 20)
2. C – They first stay at the luxurious Captain Cook hotel before moving to the Bird Creek Motel. (Chapter 72)
3. B – After his father’s death, Waldo goes to his classroom, straddles him, and grinds despite his protests. (Chapter 25)
4. A – The correct sequence: breakup with Randy, dinner at Korgy’s, coffee-shop meeting, then later the cleaning‑closet encounter. (Chapters 1, 16, 27, 35)
5. C – Waldo dissociates during sex and fakes arousal, signaling the relationship’s decay. (Chapters 77–80)
6. A – Waldo drives to Seward, enjoying solitude for the first time. (Chapter 88)
7. She throws them away – In a deliberate rejection of her mother’s tokens, Waldo discards the sticky notes instead of saving them in her jewelry box. (Chapter 13)
8. Mr. Condren – The substitute teacher takes over when Mr. Korgy is absent. (Chapter 23)

9. B – Waldo is immediately attracted to his willingness to admit failure and be vulnerable, which she finds intoxicating. (Chapter 3)
10. B – Mr. Korgy says she is seventeen, married, and his student; his rejection is driven by fear of consequences. (Chapter 20)
11. B – After Tony breaks up with her, she laughs instead of crying and recognizes her love addiction; she joins the program with a coworker sponsor. (Chapter 75)
12. B – Waldo lies so she can leave work early and meet Mr. Korgy for a walk. (Chapter 20)
13. She says she will never get what she wants from him and that the affair was only an escape. – Waldo realizes the relationship cannot fulfill her deeper needs. (Chapter 67)

14. B – Mr. Korgy insists on keeping the old strap despite its age, reflecting his comfort with imperfection and endurance. (Chapter 12)
15. A – The sticky notes are consistent maternal gestures; even as Waldo later rejects them, they represent her mother’s efforts to show care. (Chapters 2, 13)
16. B – Waldo uses shopping to fill emotional voids and avoid deeper feelings, a pattern that never satisfies her. (Chapters 2, 5, 9, 45)
17. The age gap between Waldo and Mr. Korgy – The title highlights the power imbalance central to the affair. (Throughout)

18. Both idealize unavailable partners, use relationships to escape emotional pain, and struggle with codependency. – Waldo’s mother cycles through unavailable men; Waldo does the same with Korgy, mirroring a generational pattern. (Chapters 11, 47)
19. She starts seeking validation through male attention and consumerism; by the end she chooses self-trust and solitude, abandoning the Hawaii trip and driving alone to Seward. – This shift marks her first genuine peace. (Chapters 1 vs. 88)
20. The author suggests that “forbidden love” in this story is built on power imbalance, obsession, and self‑deception rather than genuine connection. – Once the obstacles (marriage, secrecy) are removed, the relationship becomes hollow. (Chapters 71, 79)