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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Karl leave behind in the porter's lodge?
(a) His umbrella.
(b) His overcoat.
(c) His suit jacket.
(d) His hat.

2. What do Robinson and Karl tear the apartment apart looking for during Brunelda's bath?
(a) A key.
(b) Perfume.
(c) Money.
(d) Ribbons.

3. Where does the head cook have Karl's luggage sent?
(a) To Brunelda's house.
(b) To Karl's uncle's apartment.
(c) To a nearby boardinghouse.
(d) To the porter's lodge.

4. What does Karl do on his weekly day off?
(a) Goes into the city and looks for other work.
(b) Spends time with Therese and the head cook.
(c) Practices his English with Rennel.
(d) Plays cards with the other lift boys.

5. Regardless of which dress she has on, what other item of clothing does Brunelda usually wear?
(a) A fox fur stole.
(b) A pair of white wool socks.
(c) A pair of men's slippers.
(d) A red hat with cardinal feathers.

Short Answer Questions

1. Besides the possible pay and the difficulty of getting other work, what reason does Robinson give for why Karl should accept the job?

2. What causes Karl to have second thoughts about leaving New York?

3. How does Karl's relationship with Rennel show that Karl has not grown much from his experiences?

4. What surprises Delamarche and Robinson about Karl's time in New York?

5. What do Karl's thoughts as he prepares to open his trunk for the first time in two months reveal about him?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Karl is looking through his trunk, what does he realize about the cap he is wearing?

2. How does Therese's backstory support the idea that life for immigrants in America is difficult and somewhat dependent on sheer luck?

3. How does Karl try to improve his position in life while he is at the Occidental Hotel?

4. What grudge does the head porter have against Karl, and how does it underscore the ridiculous labor conditions in the hotel?

5. What other locations is the description of the suburban Ramses apartment building meant to evoke, and what is the similarity between these locations?

6. When Karl is worried about the vomit in the light shaft being noticed, how do his thoughts foreshadow his eventual fate?

7. Explain how Karl ends up losing the photograph of his parents.

8. Describe the interior of Brunelda's apartment.

9. How does Karl end up having a conversation with Therese in his room on his first night at the Occidental Hotel?

10. What annoys Karl about finding the salami in his trunk in Chapter IV, "The March to Ramses," and what is the salami's eventual fate?

(see the answer keys)

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