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. Who is the only person who knows that Simon died of AIDS on the date the fortune teller foretold?

2. What is the newest hotel on the Las Vegas strip when Klara, Raj, and Ruby arrive to pursue a residency?

3. When the executives at The Mirage offer Klara and Raj a contract, how long do they say the couple has before their first show?

4. What term does Ruby accidentally use when referring to Daniel that embarrasses everyone in the room?

5. When Eddie finally agrees to tell Daniel the name of the fortune teller, her first name is Bruna. What is her last name?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Daniel refrain from answering Ruby when she asks him why he is not at work over the Thanksgiving holiday?

2. What reasons does Klara give for hating to perform magic in casinos?

3. What reasons does the narrator give for Daniel's decision not to tell Mira about his and his siblings' childhood encounter with the fortune teller?

4. How is the theme of secrecy depicted in the passage when the narrator reveals that "Klara has kept two things from her siblings" (141)?

5. What action does Daniel decide to take because he sees it as his only way to make an impact on future events?

6. What is the secret of Klara's success with the men who are auditioning her for a spot opening for Sigfried and Roy?

7. Just before Raj convinces Klara to pursue a residency in Las Vegas for her magic act, what is meant by the narrator's statement that "Klara has always known she's meant to be a bridge" (146)?

8. How are sensory details used by the author to depict the scene when Daniel awakes first on the morning of Thanksgiving?

9. What is the real reason that Klara refuses the Mirage's entertainment director when he asks her to participate in an act where she will be sawed in half?

10. For what reason does Gertie refuse to allow Klara to be buried in the family plot and which family member has the strongest reaction to her decision?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do the themes of deception and secrecy function within the novel and what is the author's message regarding these themes?

Essay Topic 2

What is the author's message regarding motherhood and what themes does the author employ in order to send these messages to the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's use of humor alongside humanist messages within the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,398 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample