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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 Margaret’s estranged husband?

2. Who had slept over at Peter and Sylvia’s home before?

3. What is the name of Christine’s boyfriend?

4. As what had Ivan’s father been employed?

5. How old is Peter when the novel begins?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Anna talk to Margaret about regarding mosquitos?

2. Why does Peter make a point of smiling at children and the elderly?

3. Why had one of his clients refused to pay Ivan?

4. Why does Margaret fret about picking Ivan up from the bus stop?

5. Why does Ivan avoid closely contemplating his competition performance before giving it?

6. Why is Sylvia reluctant to discuss her physical condition?

7. How does Ivan ease his pre-performance jitters?

8. Why had Ivan not thought to borrow money from Peter?

9. How does Peter define having ideals?

10. Why does Ivan regard profit as an inefficiency?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Given the focus of the novel, which character would be what chess piece? What in the novel accounts for that selection? How does it do so?

Essay Topic 2

To what other writer’s work in your experience does Rooney’s seem most similar? What makes the writers similar? What differentiates them? Overall, which do you regard as doing better at the craft of writing, and why?

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, some characters are given but one name, while others are given first- and surnames, and still others are accorded names and titles. What significance, if any, accrues to patterns of naming in the novel? If no significance accrues, what purpose might be served by the patterns of naming in the novel? How does Intermezzo bear as much out?

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This section contains 501 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample