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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 Eliezer go on to say?

2. What does the doctor believe is the difference between him and the protagonist?

3. Who arrives to question the protagonist?

4. What happens to him, after a while?

5. What does she want him to promise?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kathleen say, one night when they are in bed together?

2. How does the section begin?

3. What do the doctor and the protagonist say about the river?

4. What has happened to Kathleen?

5. What does the girl tell the protagonist?

6. What does Kathleen ask of Eliezer?

7. What is Eliezer's memory about the train station?

8. Who arrives before Kathleen? Describe their behavior. How does the protagonist respond to this.

9. Why does Kathleen begin to cry?

10. Where can Kathleen not reach the protagonist? How does she deal with this?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When lying on the ground, the protagonist is reminded of a poem by Dylan Thomas that says, "rage, rage, against the dying of the light."

Part 1) Why might he think of this poem?

Part 2) How does this contrast with his actions and feelings?

Part 3) How does this poem reflect the beliefs of others in the play?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout this novel, the protagonist moves in and out of time.

Part 1) Give two examples of this. What is the purpose of this?

Part 2) How does this affect his relationship with others?

Part 3) Is this effective in showing the inner workings of the protagonist's mind? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Shimon, the protagonist's friend, considers him a saint.

Part 1) Why does he consider him a saint? How does the protagonist feel about this?

Part 2) How does the protagonist mimic this thought later in the novel?

Part 3) Compare the person and reaction later in the novel to his reaction to being called a saint.

Part 4) What is the connection between this and the stranger on the ship and Gyula?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 907 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample