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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 the man not look up to see?

2. Despite the efforts of his girlfriend and others, what does the main character find himself doing?

3. What happens moments later?

4. What is happening in his memory of the concentration camp?

5. What is this woman doing?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the protagonist criticize in the first section of the novel?

2. How does the protagonist react to the stranger's honesty?

3. How does the protagonist meet Kathleen?

4. Describe the protagonist's first evening with Kathleen.

5. To whom does he run in this memory? What does this person do?

6. What happens, moments after the protagonist and Kathleen meet?

7. Describe the scene between the protagonist and the stranger.

8. What memory does he then recall?

9. Describe the memory that is triggered by the hamburger.

10. To what does the protagonist wake up?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The protagonist is not named until Section 6.

Part 1) What is his name? Why is it not known until Section 6?

Part 2) What is the author's purpose for keeping him anonymous for over half of the novel?

Part 3) How might this reflect how both the author and main character feel about themselves?

Essay Topic 2

The cab accident acts as a catalyst.

Part 1) How does it act as a catalyst?

Part 2) What does the protagonist learn about himself through this accident?

Part 3) How has the protagonist changed because of this accident? Why?

Essay Topic 3

The novel ends with the main character crying.

Part 1) For what is he shedding tears?

Part 2) Is he healed? Why or why not?

Part 3) Will his relationships with others be different now, after the destruction of the painting? Why or why not?

Part 4) Will he reconcile with Kathleen? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 940 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample