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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 is Gemma telling Becca the fairy tale story in Chapter 13?

2. Where will Becca stay for a night while in Oswego?

3. How does the person who recognizes Gemma in the photograph refer to her?

4. What does Becca rent in Chapter 20?

5. What rumors about the refugee camp does Randolph comment on in Chapter 12?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Becca find out the meaning of 'Ksiezniczka'?

2. Why does Becca wet herself in Chapter 19?

3. What horrifies Harvey about Gemma's last known address, the town of Kulmhof?

4. Who is Magda Bronski?

5. What part of the story does Gemma tell Becca in Chapter 11?

6. What does Harvey recall about Gemma in Chapter 12?

7. How do the girls react to Gemma's explanation to how the cursed, dead people in her story can have future lives?

8. In Chapter 24, why does Josef ask Becca to visit his house, and for how long?

9. What realization does Becca have when she meets Josef Potocki?

10. Where does Gemma tell Becca the Briar Rose story in Chapter 15? Who else listens, and what does he object to?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the motif of family in the novel "Briar Rose". Who are the member of Becca's family? Is family important to Becca? How does Becca's family affect her decisions and actions? Describe Becca's relationship with her sisters and grandmother.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Yolen's use of foreshadowing. What are some examples of foreshadowing in the novel? Why does Yolen use foreshadowing? How do the examples of foreshadowing affect the tone of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the struggles faced by Becca throughout the novel. What struggles does Becca face? How does she overcome them?

(see the answer keys)

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