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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 did Mrs. Stein bring to California?

2. What was the name of the sculptor working on a figure of Gertrude Stein's nephew?

3. What event preceded the fire?

4. What military position did Alice's great-great-uncle hold?

5. Where was Alice B. Toklas born?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Gertrude Stein discover the works of Cézanne?

2. What prompted Max Jacob to dub the early 1900s "the heroic age of Cubism?

3. What caused Alice to throw herself into literature after having spent so much time studying music?

4. What was Alice's living arrangement after the untimely death of her mother?

5. What caused the turbulent nature of the Picassos' relationship?

6. The author claims that Alice's father came from Polish patriotic stock. What in Alice's history causes the author to make such a statement?

7. Why does Stern say Americans are like Spaniards?

8. What is Gertrude Stein's brother's theory about the masking of unemployment in Paris?

9. What newspapers did Stein regularly read and why?

10. Toklas claims that Stein and Fitzgerald had a peculiar way with each other. Explain.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After the Steins returned to the United States from Europe, Mr. Stein wanted the children to abandon their foreign language skills and focus solely on American English. Why would Stein do this? What are the pros and cons of focusing solely on American English?

Essay Topic 2

Money was mentioned on occasion but usually when it posed a problem regarding the ability to live in Paris or during war time. It was never discussed how Stein and Toklas made their money, only that it was wise to be frugal. When the women ran out of money, they contacted relatives for help. Where do you think the women got the funds to live on? How did their lifestyle help or hinder their financial status?

Essay Topic 3

Stein is very good at characterization of the main group of visitors to the Paris salon. Choose one of the following characters and explain how the descriptions in the book enhance the reader's image of the character.

1. Pablo Picasso

2. Gertrude Stein

3. Alice B. Toklas

4. Henri Matisse

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 617 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample