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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 name of the new eau de cologne in New York?

2. What is the first line of Richard III?

3. While visiting with Maryna in Poland, what does Henryk say to her?

4. What two pieces is Maryna performing for the third week of her New York engagement?

5. Who does Cyprian introduce to Bogdan?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Julian's wife, Wanda, do when she arrives on their land? How is this typical of the character as she is portrayed by the narrator?

2. Maryna and her troupe continue their tour across America to packed theatres and adoring audiences. What does Mr Warnock suggest in order to facilitate one night stands across the country? How does this change the tone of her trip across country? What is the name lettered in gold on the car?

3. Maryna hires Eliza Withington to take a photograph of the group. Why does she do this? What conversation takes place between Eliza and Maryna after the photo shoot? How does the photo turn out?

4. How does Maryna meet Miss Collingridge? When do they meet a second time? What happens after this second meeting?

5. In Chapter Seven, Maryna moves to San Francisco to return to the stage. How does she settle into San Francisco? Where does she live first? To where and how does she move? What is her goal?

6. In Chapter Six, many of the characters take on new names. Who are they and what are their new names? How does Maryna react to this change?

7. In Chapter Seven, Bogdan injures himself and cannot come to San Francisco. What happens between Ryszard and Maryna? How do they change? What happens to their relationship by the end of the chapter?

8. What story does Ryszard write based on the events at the circus? What is his purpose for writing his story?

9. Ryszard offers to take Bogdan and Maryna on a trip to San Bernardinos. Does Bogdan go on the trip? How does he feel about Maryna and Ryzsard alone on the trip?

10. Maryna admired Edwin Booth from the time of her childhood. After her performance with him, she joins him in his apartment. What does she learn about Booth in this chapter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Opposite the title page, the author states the story is a work of fiction based on a true story. On what story has Sontag based her novel? What does she admire about Helena Modjeska, based on her characterization of Maryna?

Essay Topic 2

Chapter One reveals a great deal about Maryna and the people who surround her. In this chapter, we get a clearer picture of the people Maryna surrounds herself with and how she thinks of those people. Why does Maryna want people to uproot themselves and their families and leave Krakow? How does she see the people who surround her? Why does she feel certain these people will follow her?

Essay Topic 3

When Bogdan and Maryna go to say farewell to Bogdan's grandmother the Countess, she gives them this piece of advice: "don't invent too many reasons for what you have decided to do!" Have Bogdan and Maryna invented many reasons? What are they? Why are they going to America?

(see the answer keys)

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