View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Hope call Amy in Chapter 4?

2. Who slams the bedroom door in Chapter 4?

3. Where does Amy get a copy of the diary from?

4. What disease did most people in the camps die of, according to Amy?

5. How far is Lonoff behind schedule in the morning in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Amy obtain a copy of "Het Achterhuis?"

2. What does Amy do after leaving the dentist's office where she found the "Time" article?

3. What significance does Zuckerman see in Amy's wool cap in Chapter 4?

4. Why is Amy not surprised when Zuckerman tells her she looks like Anne Frank?

5. Why does Hope think Amy wants to take her place as Lonoff's companion?

6. What does Hope come down the stairs with in Chapter 4?

7. What does Amy believe she has the power to teach through the diary, if she remains dead to everyone?

8. To whom does Zuckerman compare Anne Frank when he is talking to Amy in Chapter 4?

9. What does Amy fear Lonoff will think about her after she tells him her story in Chapter 3?

10. Why does Amy get up from the table to leave in Chapter 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Philip Roth tends to use some of his characters as alter egos of himself. Explore Roth's use of characters in "The Ghost Writer" as alter egos. Who is Roth's alter ego in the story? Can more than one character serve as an alter ego? How do the characters become alter egos? Use specific examples from the story in the response.

Essay Topic 2

"The Ghost Writer" is the first in Roth's series of Zuckerman books. Write a response explaining how this book sets up and prepares the reader for the res of the books in the Zuckerman series. What happens in this book that might foreshadow future books' events? How does Roth prepare the reader to continue Zuckerman's story in subsequent books? Use specific references to the text in the response.

Essay Topic 3

In "The Ghost Writer," Roth explores the idea of an author's responsibility to his subjects and characters. Write a response exploring how this idea of responsibility is portrayed in the story. How does Roth connect this idea to the characters in the story? How is Roth responsible for the subjects and characters in the story? How are the writers in the story responsible for their own subjects and characters? Use specific references to the text in the response.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 851 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample