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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. The speaker says that Alfonso played the accordion out of tune where the only musical instrument of his country is what?

2. In “Elegy,” how many words does Alfonso pray?

3. What does the sign say that is hanging around the neck of a drunk soldier?

4. What are the little bundles in “The Little Bundles”?

5. What does Momma Galya do on stage, as the lights grow dim?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the townspeople behave in “The Townspeople Watch Them Take Alfonso”?

2. What do the beautiful women of Vasenka do?

3. In “A Bundle of Laundry,” what has happened to Anushka?

4. Why does the speaker consider Momma Galya the luckiest woman in the country?

5. How does Alfonso try to make life fun for his daughter?

6. What details are given about Anushka at her mother’s funeral?

7. What do the boys of Vasenka want to do because Sonya was murdered?

8. How is the soldier treated prior to being killed?

9. What payment does Alfonso receive for killing the soldier?

10. What are two things the speaker says in “Such Is the Story Made of Stubbornness and a Little Air”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In less than a year the lives of the Vasenka townspeople are turned upside down. Sonya is taken from her baby and murdered three days postpartum. What is the impact of this quick decline in the town of Vasenka on the reader? What does this say about one's own safety and security? What does this also reveal about what humans are capable of doing to other humans?

Essay Topic 2

Sonya and Alfonso continue their puppet shows, even as the invading army forbids public gatherings. Why might they have chosen to continue with the puppet shows? What is the purpose of the puppet shows? How is this an example of peaceful protest?

Essay Topic 3

Sonya's last word is, "Ready!" What does this and her previous actions, as well as silence, reveal about her? How is she both a heroine and a martyr? How do her actions compare to those of many of her fellow townspeople? Are most people likely to be like Sonya? Why or why not?

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This section contains 731 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample