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 items does Michael find unacceptable on his pizza when it arrives near the end of Chapter V: Neither Here nor There?

2. On what type of seat does Noah sit smoking while Michael is reclining atop the play structure in Chapter V: Neither Here nor There?

3. The chip Michael produces from his pocket in Chapter VI: The Law of Closure is stamped with what number?

4. What specific group of people did the Marcel network members help to escape the Holocaust?

5. Noah tells Michael that the Promenade in Nice was named by what group of people when they paid for it to be built?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do tourists symbolize within Chapter IV: The Promenade?

2. Discuss an instance when Noah accepts and applies advice from the voice of his late wife Joan in Chapter V: Neither Here nor There.

3. Near the end of Chapter V: Neither Here nor There, what action does Noah think about taking once he returns home to New York City and why?

4. What is the significance of the title of Chapter V: Neither Here nor There?

5. What is Michael's first purchase with the ten euros he receives from Noah and how does Noah feel about the purchase?

6. What results does Noah unearth when he searches for the average life expectancy of a person in Michael's Brooklyn neighborhood?

7. To what objects does Noah compare a biological mother and father in his DNA explanation to Michael?

8. In what way does Noah model an optimistic attitude within Chapter VI: The Law of Closure?

9. What two revelations are made about the initials MZ within Chapter VII: "Nom de Guerre"?

10. What tattoo does Michael have on the inside of his arm and what is its significance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the roles of Victor, Amber, and Michael within the text of Akin. How does Donoghue use each character’s depiction in order to highlight themes depicted within the overall narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Read a lengthy interview with Donoghue. Write an essay explaining the connection between several of Donoghue’s answers and a major theme presented within the text of Akin.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Donoghue's decision to include humor within the novel entitled Akin. What purpose did Donoghue have in mind when including these instances of humor and how does the inclusion of these instances support the overarching themes and messages of the text?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,036 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample