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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. Why does Nadereh dress up on the same day?

2. Why does Behmani call Esmail a chicken?

3. Why does Behrani shave and change clothes before going home from work?

4. What bad news does Lester bring Kathy after he visits two more lawyers?

5. What American saying is similar to, "If there is no snake at your feet, do not lift rocks at the side of the road"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the letter from Connie Walsh change the way Behrani is feeling?

2. Why do you think Behrani has not been able to find work in the aerospace industry in spite of all his qualifications?

3. When Kathy explains her need to keep the house to Nadereh, what is Nadereh's concern?

4. What happens to Behrani's cousin Jasmeen, and why is he unable to forget it?

5. How is Kathy like Behrani in her outlook on life?

6. Why does Behrani regret that he will soon sell the house?

7. Why is Nadereh happier in the little house than she had been in the expensive apartment?

8. What is Kathy's intention in calling her brother Frank, and why doesn't she do as she intended?

9. Why does Behrani say that he is not a man of faith?

10. When Behrani visualizes their happy future in America, his imagination goes beyond reality. What does he visualize that will never be possible?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lester's past has a strong effect on actions he believes he must take now. What happens in his younger days that skews his view of the world now? What is he trying to prove and why does he feel he must prove something? Support your idea with quotations from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Lester has said that he loves and admires his wife. Why do you think he is willing to cause such pain to someone he loves and admires? Do you think he is surprised when she comes to the sheriff's office and creates a scene? Using quotations and facts from the story, analyze Lester's relationship with his wife.

Essay Topic 3

Kathy spends a significant amount of time in the process of cleaning. She cleans others' houses, and her baths, showers, and changes of clothing are recorded; yet she frequently mentions that she feels dirty. Find instances in the story where Kathy talks about feeling clean/dirty. What do these events tell you about her?

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