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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Letter Dated 26 January 1998," what did Alex tell Jonathan he did for the first time ever?
(a) He took care of himself first.
(b) He told his father exactly what he thought.
(c) He told the truth.
(d) He kissed a girl.

2. What book did Jonathan find in the "In Case" box?
(a) The Book of Recurrent Dreams.
(b) Safran's Diary.
(c) The Book of Past Occurrences.
(d) Brod's Diary.

3. How does Alex feel about Safran having sex with older women and women who are not his wife?
(a) He wants to be like Safran.
(b) He thinks it is strange.
(c) He thinks it makes Safran sound like a superior person.
(d) He thinks it makes Safran sound like an inferior person.

4. According to Jonathan, what makes women fall in love with Safran?
(a) His dead arm.
(b) His teeth.
(c) His blue eyes.
(d) His wit and charm.

5. What is in all of the boxes in the old woman's house?
(a) Old newspapers about the war.
(b) The only items remaining of Trachimbrod.
(c) The woman's favorite photographs.
(d) Documents that need to be filed.

Short Answer Questions

1. "The Dial, 1941-1804-1941" goes back and forth between two stories. Who are the two stories about?

2. How does Alex feel about the idea of cutting out the discussion of Jonathan's grandmother from the story?

3. Who thinks "This is love . . When you notice someone's absence and hate that absence more than anything" (121)?

4. Why are the Gypsy girl and Safran unable to be together?

5. Who does Safran meet up with at the wedding reception?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Safran's teeth effect his life? What might have been different if he had not been born with teeth?

2. Alex has changed throughout the novel. Identify how he has changed by the time he writes "Letter Dated 24 December 1997." What do you think brought about the change?

3. Why is it ironic that Safran asks his great-great-great-grandfather to not "let me hate who I become" (141)?

4. What is the relationship between Safran in 1941, Brod in 1804, and the Dial.

5. After reading "What We Saw When We Saw Trachimbrod, or Falling in Love," the reader might suspect that Lista was a character in her own story. Who might she be? How do you know? Why do this?

6. Although the novel does not say it directly, based on what is written in the Book of Antecedents, what can we assume Brod asked the Kolker to do? Why would she ask this?

7. In "Falling in Love," what does "Augustine" look like?

8. Why does Alex lie about his sex life?

9. What does Jonathan tell Alex about his grandmother while waiting for Grandfather and the old woman? What do Jonathan and his grandmother have in common?

10. Safran muses "the more you love someone . . . the harder it is to tell them" (234). What is he referencing? Is this true? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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