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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. In grandmother's dream about her friend Nevart (described in "The Woman in Blue"), what was Nevart drinking?

2. What California town was the Armenian-American writer William Saroyan from?

3. At what age did Peter Balakian begin attending Columbia football games with his father?

4. What instrument did Balakian's cousin Haigie play?

5. In what year did the Columbia Lions win the Rose Bowl?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Balakian's memorial poem for his grandmother reflect his Armenian past?

2. Describe the Wall family, who were Balakian's neighbors in Tenafly.

3. Why did Balakian react so strongly to Allen Ginsberg's reading of his poem "Kaddish"?

4. How did Balakian's grandmother continue to affect him even after her death?

5. In what way was Balakian's attachment to the Jewish families in his first neighborhood ultimately superficial, and could it have been deeper?

6. How did Balakian's grandmother react to the assault against the man on the city bus?

7. In what ways did life at Auntie Anna's and Uncle Steve's house differ from life in the Balakian household?

8. How did Balakian's grandmother establish a strong bond with him through cooking?

9. How did Balakian's mother's behavior at the restaurant in France reflect her cultured upbringing?

10. Describe the impact poetry had on Balakian during high school and how it connected to his family's silence about the genocide.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Balakian's grandfather Diran was a physician who served during the genocide and was required at times to treat Turkish soldiers. He did so knowing that many of these soldiers were likely to return to the front to kill more Armenians. Write an essay exploring how he was able to deal with this situation. Did knowing what these men were doing impact his ability to follow the Hippocratic Oath? Why did he treat the Turkish soldiers?

Essay Topic 2

Balakian wrote frequently about the central role food played in his extended family. What importance does food have in Armenian culture? How did the experience of starvation during the genocide impact Armenian immigrants to the U.S.? Would food still have had the same importance if the Armenians had not experienced starvation? How do immigrant families transmit their culture to their children through food? How do they express their love at the dinner table?

Essay Topic 3

Balakian's family became quickly assimilated into the American suburbs. Aside from the food, Peter Balakian was not exposed to any distinctly Armenian cultural traditions. Write an essay exploring the question of whether assimilation requires that immigrants leave behind their cultures. Is it possible to blend two cultures? Can immigrants retain treasured traditions and still be considered assimilated? Why was the author's family so eager to become assimilated? Would their attitude have been different if Armenia had, at the time, existed as an independent nation?

(see the answer keys)

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