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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 David do to explain his departure to the parents?

2. What does David see in a newspaper?

3. With which child does David feel most at ease?

4. Where is David steered to earn money?

5. What is David asked to do inside?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain what happens to King.

2. Describe the individuals at the farm.

3. Explain why David doesn't like dogs, and how his friendship with King develops.

4. What does David realize about King's actions?

5. Why does David have such difficulty understanding the young boys he has come to live with?

6. Why does David now believe the man kept him in the concentration camp, only to take care of him and eventually let him go?

7. What does David say in his letter to Carlo?

8. Why does David hate being touched?

9. Why does Giovanni respect David?

10. How does David locate Edith, and what happens when he arrives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author often uses strong depictions of the landscape David moves through both to indicate position as well as to provide David with uplifting moments in his journey. Choose a scene in which David is in awe and wonder about his surroundings, and analyze that scene. Why is David so enthralled? What type of environment is he used to? How does the author use David's surroundings to uplift his character, at times?

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, "the man" comes to symbolize all things evil and cruel in the world. By the end of the novel, however, it is revealed that "the man" is likely the reason David is alive. Analyze this character in depth. Who is he? How did he treat David? Why did he treat him as he did? What is revealed about him toward the end of the novel? How did he actually help David? Why did he help David? What does this say about David's concept of what is bad?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel there is reference to David's eyes. This is later linked in the novel to the eyes of Edith, his mother. Explain what people see when they look into David's eyes, in terms of why they find his eyes do unique. What in David's life has led him to show the expression in his eyes that he shows? Why does his mother have the same eyes? How does the author use this to link not only their genetics, but their experiences?

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