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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 Silas's father leave to him after he died?

2. Who sends Lydia a letter from Toronto?

3. Which part of his mother did Mikey find most attractive when he was a child?

4. What food does Mikey order in to share with Julian and Kate?

5. How does Lydia react to the news that Mikey has not come to the hospital to visit her?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mikey come to find himself in possession of his mother's diary?

2. How does Mikey feel about reading his mother's diary?

3. What event does Lydia admit to Silas when she hears that Du Boise is back in town?

4. Why does Kate begin to grow suspicious of her secret meetings with Mikey?

5. How does Kate react to Mikey while she is staying with him?

6. How does Silas react to seeing Lydia's injuries after she steps on the broken glass?

7. Why can't Gracie sleep at night?

8. How does the Ali family react to Silas's seizure?

9. What is the truth behind Mikey's parentage?

10. Why is Lydia frustrated with Mikey when she returns from the hospital, and what is his reaction to her frustration?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Even though he is dead at the time the novel is set, Ali Ali plays a large role in shaping the man Mikey becomes when he transforms into Michael. Explain Ali Ali's life story, and then explain why the knowledge of his family history has such a large effect of Mikey.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, Silas's two work friends, Kate and Julian, have a large effect on the problems that happen in the Ali family. Briefly describe both Kate and Julian's characters as well as their relationships to Silas. Then, give one example for the ways each of these characters irrevocably change the relationships in the Ali family, leading toward their inevitable demise.

Essay Topic 3

At the end of the novel, both Lydia and Michael have left their hometown to relocate from their memories of Du Boise. Explain why each of these characters has chosen a life on the run, rather than a settled life. Then, explain what measures each character takes to ensure that Silas will never be able to find them.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,000 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample