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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 kind of student is Claude in school?

2. While Claude's mother is at work and Claude is on his own, how does he make spending money?

3. Where does Claude discover an old piano?

4. How does Claude react to the physical signs of stress as he prepares for the music festival?

5. What is the result of Claude's performance when he fills in for the pianist?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do we learn about Emma from her involvement with the secret customers she transports in the middle of the night?

2. When Mr. Weisfeld, Mr. Levits, Claude, and Emma meet in Mr. Larkin's office, what plans emerge regarding Claude's musical career?

3. Contrast Peter Fisk's feeling for music with Claude's feeling for music.

4. Explain what happens when Mr. Weisfeld comes to Claude's apartment after Claude misses a week of lessons.

5. Why is Claude confused by Mr. Powers' reaction to Claude's choice of career?

6. Why is performing with Mr. Fredericks at a music festival important for Claude?

7. What evidence is there that Claude does not relate well to children, especially regarding the movies and Catherine Marsh?

8. How is Lady representative of the young people from the higher social classes?

9. What is the reader led to believe about Claude because Emma does not reveal any concrete information about Claude's father?

10. Regarding the music store, how does Claude show his love for Mr. Weisfeld after Mr. Weisfeld's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Is the era in which Body and Soul takes place described authentically in the novel? How? Give examples from the story to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Frank Conroy choose Body and Soul for the title of the novel? 1) Give examples from the book that explain the title. 2) Do you think the title fits the book? Why or why not? 3) If you could give the book a different title, what would it be? Give reasons for your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Choose a situation in the story in which Claude acted in a way you disagree with. Describe the situation. Why does Claude act this way? What are the consequences of his actions? Why do you disagree with Claude's reaction to the situation? How would you have reacted? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,015 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample