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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 does Bernard tell Leo Isaac found with a photo of Leo and Alma?

2. On the title page of Charlotte's copy, what does Alma read?

3. What does Leo do with Isaac's picture?

4. After whom is Alma Singer named?

5. What does Alma do after reading The History of Love?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bird tell Alma about the lamed vovniks?

2. Why does Alma think that Alma Mereminski is a real person?

3. What does Alma do when she realizes the Alma in the book must have been real?

4. For what does Leo Gursky sign up? What does Bruno think about this?

5. Who does Leo find in his apartment when he returns from the library? What does this person say to him?

6. About what does Leo write?

7. How does this part of the chapter suggest that Bruno had feelings for Alma as well?

8. Why does Zvi's friend not show up to meet him?

9. What takes place that affects Misha and Alma's friendship?

10. What would Zvi do with his friend frequently?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Leo becomes famous for loving one woman all his life and writing about it.

Part 1) How does this statement support one or more of the themes?

Part 2) Why has he only loved one woman? What message does this send to the reader?

Part 3) How is this idea of loving one individual echoed throughout this story? What is the purpose of this?

Essay Topic 2

Alma is named after the Alma in The History of Love.

Part 1) Why is she named after this Alma?

Part 2) How might the fact that Alma Mereminski is Alma Singer's namesake affect Alma Singer? How might it influence choices she makes?

Part 3) What other parallel's exist between Alma Mereminski and Alma Singer, besides their names?

Essay Topic 3

Alma Singer is another narrator.

Part 1) Describe her. Why is she also a narrator?

Part 2) How do the chapters narrated by Alma compare to those by Leo?

Part 3) How does the author use parallel circumstances and relationships to connect these two characters? Is this effective? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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