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 countries had the Solovey's lived in?

2. During the second year of The Great Depression, how long had it been since the author's father had work?

3. Why did the author daydream of Mrs. Solovey?

4. Finish this sentence. " The Socialist Party is _______."

5. What emotion did the author feel when he was working during his sixteenth summer?

Short Essay Questions

1. What led the author to fantasize about Mrs. Solovey every night before bed?

2. What is so significant about the author not being able to find his mother during the funeral service for Mrs. Solovey?

3. The author met two boys who were part of the Socialist group, David and Isrolik. What was it about these boys that the author enjoyed?

4. What was the reaction of the person who read the author's final high school paper?

5. What did the second hand furniture shops remind the author of?

6. What are the details the author remembers most about the drugstore?

7. When Mrs. Solovey makes a visit to the author's home, she engages the author in conversation but soon becomes frustrated. Why does she become frustrated?

8. Who were the two colorful women the author remembers in great detail?

9. The author and his mother take a day trip to a local attraction. Where did they go and what did they experience?

10. The author was given a book and the giver was surprised. Why was she surprised?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author felt the most joy in a place where he felt the most uncomfortable. Explore the idea of the author's constant struggle with feeling like an outsider or an alien.

Essay Topic 2

In what ways did the author choose to escape his daily life? Why did the author feel he needed to escape and why is he "walking" through a time when he felt the need to escape? What is he trying to escape from that he wrote the memoir/

Essay Topic 3

Shame is a recurring theme in the book. Using examples from the book, describe the 2 main causes for the author's shame.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 919 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample