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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. What happens one day to Pashka?

2. What does a young girl dismantle and reassemble?

3. Where does the narrator find a photo of three women in black dresses?

4. How does the narrator insult his dance partner?

5. Why does the narrator lie to Pashka?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the narrator feel when he is staying in the tombs and what symptoms did he think he had?

2. What does Charlotte's last story for the narrator tell him?

3. Why does the narrator think he is being accepted by his classmates, what does he see as the three types of cliques in a crowd and how does his acceptance affect his writing?

4. Who does the narrator notice while doing sequences and what does he notice about her?

5. Why does the narrator feel guilty concerning his grandmother?

6. What does the narrator begin to learn in Chapter 12 in class to protect the fatherland and how does he feel about the process of learning this?

7. What does the narrator relate about a man named Beria?

8. How does the narrator feel about the women in the photo and how does he try to return to the comfort of his childhood?

9. How does Pashka feel about the narrator's new popularity and what does Pashka do about it?

10. What does the narrator do about a place for Charlotte when she comes to visit?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Andrei Makine.

2. What in Makine's background may have helped him in writing "Dreams of My Russian Summers"? What may have influenced the way he depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. What do you think are the characteristics of a successful novel?

2. Analyze and discuss "Dreams of My Russian Summers" based upon the criteria you decide upon in #1 and judge if Dreams of My Russian Summers is a successful novel.

3. Do you think the criteria for a successful novel should be different if it is written for adults versus young adults? Why or why not? Would most adults consider "Dreams of My Russian Summers" a successful novel? What about young teens?

Essay Topic 3

1. What is foreshadow? How many incidences of foreshadow are in "Dreams of My Russian Summers"? How does foreshadow contribute to a book's suspense?

2. Discuss an example of foreshadow in "Dreams of My Russian Summers" including why you believe it is foreshadow. Include examples from the book and your own life to illustrate your answer.

3. How do you think most people react to uncertainty in their lives? Use examples from "Dreams of My Russian Summers" and your own live to support your opinion.

(see the answer keys)

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