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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. Where did Robby go after the robbery?

2. Whose house did Robby go to after the heist?

3. Where does Robby plan to go, after Chicago?

4. How do conditions change in the prison after Robby's appeals are denied?

5. What did Stavros do when he was shot the second time?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Robby characterize his work with autistic kids?

2. How does Robby say the prison environment changes after his appeals are all turned down?

3. How does Robby characterize the ghetto mentality?

4. Describe Robby's relationship with Tanya.

5. How did the botched job feel wrong from the start, according to Robby?

6. What did Robby and Cecil argue about?

7. How does John describe Robby's drug deal in Detroit?

8. How does John describe Robby's arrest after the drug deal in Detroit?

9. What does Robby say about his educate in his speech?

10. What pact did the robbers make, and how did it get broken?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Evaluate your own reading of "Brothers and Keepers"--did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of family in the relationship between John and Robby? Who else participates in their relationship, and who is instrumental in keeping their relationship going? How is John's solo visit to see Robby different from his visits with Judy and Jamila?

Essay Topic 3

How does John characterize his brother? What literary techniques does he use to bring his brother to life as a literary character? How does his characterization change throughout the course of the memoir, as he writes one draft and then another? What does John learn about himself and his brother in the process of trying to capture this story in writing?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 815 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample