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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 comforts David in Chapter Eight?

2. Why did the man allow Johannes to live more freely than other prisoners?

3. What is revealed at the end of the chapter about Edith, the woman in the photograph?

4. What does David do as soon as he can afford to?

5. What does the woman David meets wish to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain what happens to King.

2. Describe how David comes to meet Sophie Hartmann, and describe Sophie.

3. Explain what David realizes about milk.

4. Why does Giovanni respect David?

5. How does David cross into Denmark?

6. Explain David's conversation with God when he realizes the farmer has bolted the door, and his resulting revelation.

7. What does David realize about King's actions?

8. Why does David stop caring consciously about what happens to him, and how does he manage to keep going?

9. Describe the frontier post, and how David managed to avoid it.

10. Why does David have such difficulty understanding the young boys he has come to live with?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author often uses strong depictions of the landscape David moves through both to indicate position as well as to provide David with uplifting moments in his journey. Choose a scene in which David is in awe and wonder about his surroundings, and analyze that scene. Why is David so enthralled? What type of environment is he used to? How does the author use David's surroundings to uplift his character, at times?

Essay Topic 2

There are two strong female characters in the novel, Sophie and the mother of the children, Giovanni's wife. Compare and contrast these two women. How are they similar? How are they different? How do their backgrounds and lifestyles change the way the treat David? Whereas the mother originally sends David away, Sophie asks him to stay. What does this difference indicate about these two characters?

Essay Topic 3

David's relationship with God grows through the novel from being non-existent to being one of the most vital relationships in his life. Describe each stage of this relationship in detail. How does David find God? How does he choose a God? How does he pray? How does he learn about God? What promises does he make to God, and what triumphs does he attribute to God? Does God succeed, to David, in helping him?

(see the answer keys)

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