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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. As Yakov is preparing to leave for his trial, what does the deputy warden insist must happen before Yakov leaves?
2. After his cell is searched in Chapter 7, Part 2, Yakov becomes despondent. What does Yakov find pleasure in thinking about?
3. When the warden finally delivers Yakov's indictment, how does Yakov describe the indictment?
4. When Yakov and his visitor in Chapter 8, Part 4 first see each other, what do they do?
5. One day, Yakov awakens in his cell to find his possessions there, but something is missing. What is missing?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Clearly, anti-Semitism plays a central role in the development of the characters and the plot of the story.
a. Define anti-Semitism and describe what anti-Semitism is and what it is not.
b. How does the author use anti-Semitism to develop his characters and the story's plot?
c. Why does the author use anti-Semitism in the story? What does the author hope to gain?
d. How might the story have been impacted if the anti-Semitism piece had been completely left out? Would the story have been richer? More dramatic? Why or why not?
Essay Topic 2
Malamud uses this story to demonstrate how wrong it is to hate people for their religious beliefs and backgrounds. Examine the author's beliefs through his storytelling. Why would the author choose this story to overlay his demonstration of the consequences realized when acting out of hatred? What do you learn from the author's discussion on hatred? What other avenues, if any, could the author have used to express his beliefs? Would those avenues have been as effective as the story? Why or why not?
Essay Topic 3
There is no doubt that Yakov has been greatly affected by the murder of his parents that occurred years earlier in the shtetl. Discuss how Yakov's past affects not only his worldview, but also his decision to leave the shtetl and his ability to cope with his incarceration. How does Yakov's past affect his mental state, his ability to reason, his ability to trust, and his ability to hope?
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This section contains 376 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
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