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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. What does Kathy say about the Behranis in her house?

2. What is a najar?

3. What does HALT mean?

4. Why does Behrani say he never shares his worries with Nadereh?

5. Why are Lester and Kathy both homeless?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Behrani quitting both his jobs?

2. Why is Kathy surprised when the officers come to evict her from her home?

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

4. What does Esmail advise his father to do after Lester's threatening visit?

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

6. What happens to Kathy's Enemy Voice the last time she spends time with a married man?

7. Why does Lester believe Behrani deserves to be punished by him?

8. How does Kathy feel about her drinking when she is in the motel with Lester, and why is it important to the story?

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

10. When Esmail asks his father if they were rich in Iran, Behrani replies, "Yes and no, son." What do you think he meant?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the end of the story, three of the main characters each say that they got what they deserved. Do you agree with them? Are the final results similar to what you predicted? In this essay, compare your early predictions for the outcome of this conflict with the actual resolution. If your predictions were different, do you like your ideas better than the actual results? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Events in Iran many years before the opening of this story shape the thinking of the characters in the present. The photo of Behrani with the shah is an important symbol in this story. In this essay, consider the effect of the photo on Nadereh, on Soraya, on Soraya's in-laws, on Lester, on Kathy, and on Behrani himself. Use quotations from the story in each instance.

Essay Topic 3

Do you agree with Nick that he and Kathy should not be parents? Why or why not? Use quotations and facts from the story to support your thesis.

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