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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. Who does Sara see Mashah bargaining with when she arrives at her home to visit?

2. What sort of woman does Zalmon want to marry?

3. Who is Mashah's first true love?

4. How does Reb feel when Sara runs away from home?

5. How much is the bag of rice the young girl tries to purchase in Chapter 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Reb find in the store after he, Sara, and Shenah have gotten the chance to go through the stock?

2. Why does Sara have trouble finding an apartment after running away from home?

3. Why does Zalmon wish to remarry so soon after his wife's death?

4. What excuse does Bessie use in her defense when her mother comes into the house and sees the changes she makes?

5. Why does Reb not like the grocery business?

6. Why does Sara vow to marry an American-born man?

7. How does Bessie react to the news that Berel Bernstein will not marry her?

8. Why is Reb so angry with Sara at the end of Chapter 8?

9. What steps do Shenah and Sara take to restock the store that Reb bought?

10. How does Reb react when he finds out how Morris Lipkin makes his living?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

All of the members of the Smolinsky family are close because of their living conditions early on in the story. Family ties exist throughout the novel and are made example of in certain situations. Write an essay exploring the idea of family ties. How are they important in Bread Givers? Which characters attempt to break their ties with the family? How do they try and break them? Why? Explain your rationale by providing examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Bread Givers concludes with Sara deciding whether or not to take Reb into her home. She is conflicted because of his behavior and the past conflicts they have shared. Write an essay exploring the reasons Sara has for being hesitant to take her father in. Why is she always the sibling who takes responsibility for Reb? Why can she never escape him? How was Reb's personality and outlook on life shaped by the men who came before him? Explain your rationale by providing examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Love and marriage are subjects often brought up in Bread Givers. All three of Sara's older sisters are married off to men they hardly know. Sara's parents barely knew each other before they were married. Write an essay exploring the idea of arranged marriage in the context of the story. Why do Bessie, Fania, and Mashah feel powerless over choosing who they marry? Why do match makers and prearranged marriages exist in the context of the story? Which of the characters refuses to get married to a man she doesn't love? Use examples from the book to support your opinions.

(see the answer keys)

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