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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 was the keyword when referred to Mendy?

2. What had the author's final paper been about?

3. What language does the author share with Mrs. Solovey?

4. Why did the author keep going back to the barber shop?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why is the idea of "beyond' so important to the author?

3. The author liked to go to the courtyard to hear music, why was there always music in the courtyard?

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

5. How does the author describe summer in Brownsville?

6. When the author would play games with his friends, he would usually hide in the monument works. What was significant about the monument works?

7. What was it about the Solovey's that had the entire neighborhood intrigued?

8. The Soloveys were a couple no one could figure out. What about their marriage, specifically, was so mysterious?

9. Mr. Solovey wasn't the most likable person in the neighborhood. What didn't people like about him?

10. The author read from his prayer book every morning. What were his feelings and experiences?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

During the summer of his 16th year, the author joins a group with Socialist ties. What does the author feel his connection to the Socialist group is? His parents were of the Socialist influence, was that his draw to the party or did he truly believe the party would make what was wrong in his world right?

Essay Topic 2

How much of the author's unhappiness was self-inflicted? How could he have done or interpreted things differently in his life in such a way that he would have been less resentful and more content? Cite specific examples.

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.

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This section contains 932 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample