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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 is the old phobia that Dominick has to face in addition to the shocking image he sees while at the Rood's house?

2. What does Dominick do that he is not supposed to do when he is visiting with Thomas?

3. Sheffer points out that Thomas has also had troubles in ______________ in the past, so that might not be an option.

4. Also known as WASPs, this group, ______________, flocks to the ballot box and Papa is blamed for the lost election.

5. Patel wants to find out more about why Dominick continues to use the word __________ to describe the process of therapy.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Papa receive during the blessing of the school, which overwhelms him?

2. Who is revealed as being Dominick's father when Ray breaks his promise to Ma and tells Dominick?

3. What does Ray ask for when he does not recognize Dominick when he visits him, in this story?

4. What is the surprise that Dominick finds when he returns home on the eve of Thomas' hearing?

5. What does Dominick ask Ralph to do for him after he meets with Patel to talk about Thomas?

6. Who fails to show up when Dominick and Ray are making funeral arrangements, in this story?

7. What does Papa refuse to do when he finds out that Ignazia is pregnant?

8. What story has Dominick been reading when he comes into Patel's office for a new appointment?

9. What does Papa do since he can not trust Prosperine to not poison him as they are living together?

10. What is the thing that Papa beats Ignazia for, according to his memoir, in this story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Prosperine puts poison and glass into Selvi's food in order to kill him and he dies in agony.

Part 1: Why do you think Prosperine wants to kill Selvi?

Part 2: Do you think that Prosperine had a good reason to kill Selvi?

Part 3: How do you think the problems between the two might have been worked out more effectively?

Essay Topic 2

Papa decides to drown the monkey because it bites Papa, even though he promised Pasquale he would not.

Part 1: Why do you think Papa breaks the promise to Pasquale?

Part 2: Do you think drowning the monkey was an evil act of Papa or a necessary evil?

Part 3: How do you think Papa's life might have changed had he not drowned the monkey?

Essay Topic 3

The story includes a number of flashbacks about the life of the brothers as they were growing up.

Part 1: Why do you think the author felt it was necessary to include flashbacks?

Part 2: Do you agree that the flashbacks help the story come to life for the reader?

Part 3: How do you think the story might have changed if the reader doesn't find out anything about the history of the brothers?

(see the answer keys)

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