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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. To what do conversations drift at dinner parties according to the narrator?

2. What happens to Fyodor when he is dressed as Santa Claus?

3. Whose visit to France does Charlotte describe to the narrator?

4. What is Charlotte's response to the children's request?

5. What does the narrator's grandmother press into the narrator's hand when the narrator is in bed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Charlotte meets up with a soldier while she is on her way to Boyarsk?

2. What happens when the narrator and his sister go for oranges?

3. How does Albertine surprise Charlotte one day and what is left behind?

4. What is the narrator allowed to do when he is 14?

5. Why does the narrator break into his grandmother's Siberian Suitcase?

6. What political importance is lost to the children?

7. What is the other childhood memories of Charlotte's that has left an impact on the narrator?

8. What does the narrator say about what makes French women alluring in photographs?

9. What does the narrator spend a lot of time doing and what is one photograph that seems out of place?

10. What happens after the children are put to bed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narration creates a sense of mystery, engaging the reader in the narrator's quest for truth. In this case, there are two different truths - what happened to Charlotte, and where does the narrator fit?

1. Explain what you think the above statements mean. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Using just the text from the first chapter, argue whether the search for who is Charlotte is the most important aspect of the story or the problems of who the narrator is.

3. Explain what about the sense of mystery in the first chapter goaded you to continue reading the book. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of "Dreams of My Russian Summers", identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements in "Dreams of My Russian Summers". (The subplots may not contain every element of a major plot). Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not. Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in "Dreams of My Russian Summers'. Are these universal symbols? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other symbols that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Makine chooses the symbols he does?

2. Choose two important metaphors and trace and analyze their appearance in the novel. Are these universal metaphors? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other metaphors that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Makine chooses the metaphors he does?

3. Discuss Makine's use (or lack ) of literary device (such as foreshadowing, cliffhangers, deux ex machina, etc.), and how they add or detract from the story. Does Alexie use too many or too little literary techniques? State which of the five major elements of fiction the literary device is related to (style, character, plot, setting, theme).

(see the answer keys)

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