Hello, Molly! Quiz: 20 Questions to Test Your Recall of Molly Shannon's Memoir

Test your recall of Molly Shannon's memoir with these 20 questions covering key events, character motivations, themes, and big-picture ideas. For more context, see the book overview or questions and answers. If you're curious about the final chapters, check the ending explained.

Quiz

1. In the car accident that changed Molly's life, what happened to her mother and sister Katie?

A. Both died instantly
B. Mother died instantly, Katie died later
C. Mother died later, Katie died instantly
D. Both survived

2. After the accident, where did Molly and Mary live while their father recovered?

A. With their grandparents
B. With Aunt Bernie
C. With family friends
D. In a foster home

3. What character did Molly create during an improv exercise at NYU's The Follies?

A. Sally O'Malley
B. Mary Katherine Gallagher
C. Helen Madden
D. Courtney Love

4. How did Molly and Ann get to New York City as teenagers?

A. They drove
B. They took a bus
C. They stowed away on a plane
D. They took a train

5. What crime led Molly and Ann to be fingerprinted at a police station?

A. Shoplifting
B. Vandalism
C. Stealing a car
D. Breaking a window

6. What did Molly and Eugene Pack call their scheme to get agent meetings?

A. The Agent Scam
B. The Mamet Scam
C. The Hollywood Scam
D. The David Lynch Scam

7. What role did Molly play in Heights Youth Theatre's production of The Wizard of Oz?

A. Dorothy
B. Scarecrow
C. Wicked Witch
D. Glinda

8. What did Molly's father reveal to her during their trip to Ojai?

A. He was gay
B. He had another family
C. He was moving to Europe
D. He had a secret fortune

9. Why did Molly act out around female teachers after her mother's death?

A. She wanted attention
B. She feared disappointing them and being left
C. She was angry at them
D. She didn't like school

10. Why did Molly's father encourage her to steal wigs and mannequin clothes?

A. He wanted her to become a thief
B. He valued nonconformity and gave her freedom
C. He was trying to save money
D. He wanted her to be an actress

11. What made Molly decide to stop shoplifting?

A. She was scared of jail
B. Her father punished her
C. Mr. O'Neill expressed disappointment
D. She felt guilty about Ann

12. Why did Molly leave Saturday Night Live?

A. She was fired
B. She wanted to build a personal life and spend time with her father
C. She wanted to do movies
D. She was tired of comedy

13. Why did Molly's father take her and Mary to visit juvenile jail as children?

A. To scare them
B. To visit boys who needed a big-brother type
C. To teach them about crime
D. Because he worked there

14. In the recess game “Family,” what did Molly's role as the “best mother” symbolize?

A. Her desire to become a real mother someday
B. Her grief and longing for the mother she lost
C. Her ambition to be a performer
D. Her need to control her friends

15. What did her father's final advice about “small parts” emphasize?

A. That even minor roles are valuable
B. That she should only take lead roles
C. That acting is unimportant
D. That she should retire

16. What does the Mamet Scam illustrate about Molly's approach to her career?

A. She would do anything for fame
B. She used creativity and hustle to open doors
C. She was unethical
D. She relied on luck

17. What does the creation of Mary Katherine Gallagher symbolize in Molly's life?

A. Her ability to turn pain into comedy
B. Her desire to be famous
C. Her rebellion against her father
D. Her love of Catholic school

18. Short answer: In a few sentences, describe how Molly's relationship with her father evolves from childhood to his death.

19. Short answer: What role does Catholicism play in Molly's life and comedy?

20. Short answer: How does Molly's experience of losing her mother at age four shape her later life and career?

Answer Key

1. C. Mother died later, Katie died instantly. The prologue states Molly's mother died two hours later, while Katie and cousin Fran died instantly.

2. B. They moved to Aunt Bernie's house, where their father later joined them.

3. B. Mary Katherine Gallagher was born from an improv exercise in The Follies.

4. C. They stowed away on a commercial jet to New York.

5. A. They were caught shoplifting and taken to the police station.

6. B. They posed as David Mamet's office to secure agent meetings.

7. A. Molly played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

8. A. He came out as gay during their Ojai trip.

9. B. She acted out to avoid getting close to teachers, fearing they would leave like her mother.

10. B. He valued nonconformity and gave her freedom to be herself.

11. C. Mr. O'Neill's disappointment shamed her into never stealing again.

12. B. She left to build a personal life and spend more time with her father.

13. B. He wanted to visit boys who needed a big-brother type.

14. B. It symbolized her grief and longing for the mother she lost.

15. A. He emphasized that even minor roles are valuable.

16. B. It showed her creativity and hustle to open doors.

17. A. It symbolized her ability to turn pain into comedy.

18. Molly's relationship with her father evolves from childhood admiration mixed with fear of his alcoholism and unpredictability, to a young adult who confronts him and sets boundaries, to a caregiver who supports him through his coming out and death, ultimately finding compassion and understanding.

19. Catholicism provides structure, ritual, and community, but also becomes material for her comedy, as seen in characters like Mary Katherine Gallagher and the “Catholic scenes” she stages. It also offers comfort and a framework for processing grief.

20. It drives her need for control, her fear of abandonment, her desire to be the best mother, and her drive to succeed in comedy as a way to fill the void. It also influences her parenting style and her gratitude for time with her children.