View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Yakov invite the prosecutor to do during their meeting?

2. After he begins blacking out, who does Yakov find himself thinking of often?

3. As Chapter 8, Part 4 gets underway, who is coming to visit Yakov in prison?

4. Since he no longer is keeping track of the days, what does Yakov spend his time doing?

5. Yakov begins thinking many evil thoughts after he stops keeping track of the days. Who does Yakov think evil thoughts about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The book is entitled, "The Fixer". Why does the author choose this title? How does the title foreshadow the struggles Yakov faces, the overarching political climate, and the determination of Yakov to keep busy while incarcerated?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Several people that Yakov has been in contact with provide damaging information against him to the police during the investigation of Zhenia's murder. Compare and contrast the following characters in terms of their personalities, their "testimony", and their motivations: Proshko, Zina, and Nikolai.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 301 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample