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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 is Frederick's mother?

2. Why is Bootie no longer an admirer of Murray's?

3. In what city had Frederick Tubb attended college?

4. Who is Bootie in awe of?

5. What job does Murray hire Bootie to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does David represent to Julius when he meets him while on a work assignment?

2. How does Marina unwittingly accelerate the affair between her father and Danielle?

3. What dominates Danielle's thoughts as she prepares to go to sleep?

4. What strides has Bootie made in the two weeks he has been in Manhattan?

5. What is the disconnect between how Marina and Murray perceive themselves and how they actually are?

6. What are Danielle's feelings about her mother?

7. What do Danielle and her mother, Randy, do when her mother visits Danielle in Manhattan?

8. Who is Murray's wife and what is her profession?

9. How do Murray and Marina deal with the issue of the dead cat?

10. What risk does Julius take , especially since he is in a relationship with David?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of women in the early twenty-first century when the women in the novel are living their lives. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms do they have that women in prior times did not have?

Essay Topic 2

Messud is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 3

THE EMPEROR'S CHILDREN is a classic story of loss and betrayal. What does that classification entail? Why does this novel fit into this category? Explain.

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