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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 is the name of the magazine that Morris reads?

2. What color is Nick's sweater?

3. What happens to Betty Pearl?

4. What did doctors find in Morris' lungs?

5. Who does Helen tell Ida that she is meeting at the library?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is the difference between Nat Pearl and Louis Karp?

3. How does Ida feel about Frank? Is her opinion of him changing?

4. How is business at the store?

5. How does Helen feel about her failed relationship with Nat Pearl?

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

7. What kind of a living does Morris make? What is ruining Morris' business?

8. What does Frank want from Morris? What else might he be interested in?

9. What does Nick, the tenant, do to offend Morris?

10. Describe Frank's early family life.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on the role of the family provider. Be sure to address:

1) Changing trends in family providers, including gender roles, state involvement, and so on.

2) How being a family provider is dealt with in THE ASSISTANT, and the issues characters face in regards to being a provider.

3) Important characteristics and personality traits of a good family provider.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay describing the symbols used by the author in the novel. Be sure to address at least three symbols used by the author, with the essay focusing on their deeper meaning and role within the story.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the plight of family-owned business in the industrialized world. Be sure to address:

1) Threats to and challenges faced by family-owned business in America and worldwide.

2) How important you feel protecting family-owned business is, and why.

3) Policy suggestions for protecting and improving family-owned business.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 860 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample