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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. Which of the following items is not something then narrator considers an interruption in life?

2. What is the name of the gang of boys Kneadus puts together?

3. What sound signifies the end of class at Joey's school?

4. How does the narrator claim novels are properly read?

5. Which of the following adjectives best describes Doctor T. Pimko?

Short Essay Questions

1. What relationship does Pimko hope will transpire between Joey and Zuta?

2. How is Mrs. Filidor caught in the crossfires of her husband's battle?

3. What is Mrs. Youngblood's reaction to Joey's age?

4. How does the narrator claim a novel is truly read?

5. What reason does Joey give for his own personal struggle with immaturity?

6. How does Dr. Pimko react when he reads the writing Joey has completed after waking from his strange dream?

7. Why does Kneadus burst into the Youngblood family home soon after Joey moves in with the family?

8. How do the students in Joey's class respond when they are asked to translate Latin?

9. How do the students in Joey's English class feel about the Polish poet, Slsowacki?

10. How does the narrator feel about Chopin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At various places in the novel, the prose is broken up with chunks of poetry or quotes from other published authors. First, choose at least two of these quotes from the novel and explain their significance within the story. Then, explain what is accomplished in the novel overall by including these secondary texts. Do you think the goal is accomplished?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel there are many references to the human body. Choose at least two scenes in which a part of the human body is a key element. What metaphor is being created through the use of these body parts? What is the overarching message the narrator is trying to communicate about the symbolism of the human body in literature?

Essay Topic 3

When Joey arrives at the school, his schoolmates quickly divide up into two gangs, the lads and the guys. First, explain how the division among the boys came about in the schoolyard. Who is declared the leader of each of the gangs? What characteristics define the boys who are lads and boys who are guys? In what way does the schoolyard division reflect the social divide that is taking place in the town Joey lives in? Be sure to cite examples from the text to strengthen your argument.

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