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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 does the narrator scrounge up enough money to buy?

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

3. What confuses the narrator about Beria?

4. What arrives from the Prefecture de Police?

5. What does the narrator think Charlotte would never leave?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What story does the narrator relate to Pashka?

3. Why does the narrator begin to write Charlotte's life and what does he want to know about her as he is writing?

4. What do the narrator and Pashka do on their fishing trips?

5. Why does the narrator not call or write Charlotte after he finds her and what does he do while waiting to see her?

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

7. How does the narrator's encounter with the girl with russet-colored hair occur and how does it work out between them?

8. What catches the narrator's attention almost obsessively?

9. How did the narrator's book do and when does he remember something Charlotte told him when he saw his first coffin?

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

Upon returning to Russia, the narrator dives into books about France and French history, spending entire days lost in the dust-covered volumes of the public library. His interest in French history has taken his attention away from other childhood things like sports and movies, which has made him a target for bullies in his school. The only person who treats the narrator kindly is a young man in school everyone considers to be a dunce. The narrator's position as an outsider in his school is important to note because the entire novel surrounds the narrator's struggle to discover where he fits in in the world - is he Russian or is he French?

1. Why do you think the narrator became so deeply immerged in studying France and French history? Use examples from "Dreams of My Russian Summers" to support your answer.

2. Do you think that a student who is very different from his or her classmates is always bullied or ostracized? Why or why not? Use examples from "Dreams of My Russian Summers" to support your answer.

3. Why do you think it was so important to the narrator to figure out if he fit into society in Russia or in France? Use examples from "Dreams of My Russian Summers" to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "Dreams of My Russian Summers" is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 3

Titles often play a vital role in making a person decide to read a particular book. Discuss the following:

1. Fully explain why you think "Dreams of My Russian Summers" is titled as such. Do you think it is the best title for the book? Why or why not? Can you think of a better title? Why would you choose it?

2. How important is a title in influencing you to consider reading a book? Explain your answer.

3. Do you think a title needs to have direct relevance to a book's content? Explain your answer.

4. Have you ever read a book that when you finished, you do not understand the relevance of the title? Does it discourage you from "trusting" that particular author again?

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