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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 sound do the boys hear as they make their way to the outskirts of the city?

2. Who does Joey run into a field with at the end of the novel?

3. How do the two tennis players react to seeing their ball shot into the air?

4. What happens when the ship owner's wife slaps the man sitting next to her?

5. How does Zuta react when Kopyrda climbs through her window?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Kneadus react when he sees the farmhand he has been searching for working at Auntie's house?

2. What motivation does the narrator say he has for wanting to be a storyteller?

3. How does Joey feel about the decorations in Mrs. Youngblood's bedroom?

4. How does Aunt Hurlecka come to Joey's rescue while he is on the outskirts of town?

5. What happens when Joey and Kneadus reach the edge of the city in their search for the farmhand?

6. What happens when the Marquis de Filiberthe joins the brawl at the tennis match?

7. What does Joey see when he spies on the Youngblood family as they get ready for the morning in the bathroom?

8. How does Mr. Youngblood react to the scene he walks into in Zuta's bedroom while looking for thieves?

9. What does the narrator of the novel believe is the worst form of torture in the world?

10. Why does Joey end up in a field at the end of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While the rest of the boys in school are busy battling each other, Kopyrda has other priorities. First, describe the character of Kopyrda. What makes him different than the other boys in his classroom? How do the other boys in the class treat Kopyrda? Then, explain what Kopydra's motivations in life are. What is he searching for? Does he have any chance of obtaining his desires? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

Essay Topic 2

In Pimko's school, the best attribute a student can have is immaturity. First, describe why immaturity is such an alluring character trait for the students in Pimko's school. Then, describe how the teachers manipulate the immature students' brains. What commentary is Gombrowicz making about academia in general through the use of his overbearing, opinionated teachers? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Joey has various crushes on female characters he comes across. First, describe the first romantic crush Joey has on a female character in the novel. How does he respond to these romantic feelings? Then, compare Joey's first crush to a crush he has later on in the novel. What has changed in the way Joey responds to these romantic feelings? How do these scenes show growth in Joey's character? Choose at least two examples of scenes from the text that you believe best exemplify and strengthen your argument and describe those scenes in this essay.

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