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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. Toward the end of Chapter Two, Hermann finds Albert awake when he goes to check on the boy. Why does Albert say he's still awake?

2. With what part of Einstein's job at the university is his wife dissatisfied in Chapter Six?

3. Chapter Two ends with Mrs. Einstein expressing her desire that her son becomes what?

4. Mrs. Einstein thinks her son should have what when he turns six?

5. Einstein's responses to the people he meets during the course of chapter one suggest what about his character?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Einstein sometimes called the Newton of the twentieth century?

2. Do the townspeople respect Einstein at the beginning of the book?

3. The reader learns that Einstein's work eventually leads other scientists to create the atom bomb. Why?

4. Why do Michelson and Morley assume that their experiments are a failure?

5. Why does Einstein get along better with his peers at the University than he does with his schoolmates previously?

6. Describe Mileva Maritsch.

7. What is interesting about Einstein's approach to the customary visits usually undertaken by new staff members? What is the result of his decision?

8. Why does Einstein change his mind about granting the boy from the porch an interview?

9. Explain what happens to the group of German astronomers who plan to check Einstein's theory on light rays by observing a total eclipse.

10. As Einstein starts receiving professorships, why is Mileva still frustrated with their financial situation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What kind of woman is Mileva Maritsch? Does the author present her fairly? Compare and contrast the author's portrait of Mileva with your own research. In what ways are the accounts of her similar, and in what ways do they differ?

Essay Topic 2

Imagine parenting Albert Einstein as a young child. Do his parents do a good job with him, or are they so far off the mark in understanding him that they parent badly? In what ways could they do things differently, or make greater efforts to understand him more completely? Be sure to use supporting material from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Given today's standards of what a father should be, is Einstein a success or a failure as a parent? Is he a combination of both? The author does not state how often Einstein sees his children after his divorce from Mileva; given his previous parental behavior, what level of involvement can the reader surmise he has in raising the children after the divorce?

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