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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. Why are all of the hostages excited about at the end of the chapter?

2. What happens to Beatriz when she visits Father?

3. Who is Gen now attracted to?

4. Who does Victor ask to help him profess his love to Carmen?

5. Who does Roxane ask to go out into the garden?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Benjamin ask Gen to relay to his employer?

2. Why does Gen panic at Messner's news?

3. When the garua lifts, what happens to the people left in the house?

4. What does General Benjamin realize about the way he handled the siege?

5. Messner is jealous that everyone in the house gets to spend time with Roxane, but what does he slowly realize?

6. Why does Ruben think he can ask Roxan to begin preparing food for the house?

7. After Carmen and Gen help Mr. Hosokawa and Roxane get together, what do they do?

8. What does Carmen realize the house has become for everyone and how do the people inside of it choose to live their lives?

9. What happens when all of the hostages learn that they may go outside?

10. Why do Victor and everyone else in the house fall in love with Roxane?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel Gen and Hosowaka switch places.

- Are they excited about this development?

- How does each man accept his new position in the hostage siege?

- How have they switched places? Is it in an emotional, physical, or business switch?

Essay Topic 2

As Messner visits the house for the last time, he warns Gen that the government has figured out a solution to the problem of the terrorists.

Why does Gen blatantly ignore the warning?

How could Gen have warned everyone and possibly saved Carmen's life?

Do you think everyone in the house is responsible for outcome of the siege?

Essay Topic 3

What do the house and guara symbolize throughout the novel?

Does Patchett use a lot of symbolization in the novel? So you think it is effective for the story?

(see the answer keys)

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