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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. How many rooms does the Bober flat have?

2. How old is Ida?

3. How much does Nick spend in the store every morning?

4. What habit does Ida nag Morris about?

5. How long has Morris had the store?

Short Essay Questions

1. What traumatic event caused a change in Morris' habits?

2. What happens to Morris at the end of the chapter? How does this event reflect his life?

3. Describe the relationship between the old woman and the Bobers.

4. Who is the man hanging around the neighborhood?

5. How does Morris feel about owning the store?

6. How is business at the store improving? Why?

7. How does Frank reward himself for working hard? Is this suspicious?

8. What do you think the relevance of St. Francis is to the story?

9. What terrible things are revealed about Frank in this chapter?

10. According to Morris, what does it mean to be Jewish?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay describing the process of bankruptcy in your country. Be sure to address:

1) The history of bankruptcy and origins of the word.

2) The basic process of bankruptcy for a small or large business.

3) How Morris Bober viewed the threat of bankruptcy, whether or not he considered it an option, and why.

4) The current bankruptcy rate in your country, and the main factors behind the statistics.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on the life choices made by character in THE ASSISTANT. Be sure to address:

1) Themes and examples of regret and missed opportunities.

2) Examples of good and bad life choices made by characters in the novel.

3) The message you feel Bernard Malamud is communicating to readers regarding life choices.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that critically reviews THE ASSISTANT by Bernard Malamud, in a formal book review style. Be sure to address:

1) Major themes of the novel and how well they are communicated to readers.

2) Your opinion on the writing style used by the author.

3) The universal importance of the book's subject matter.

(see the answer keys)

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