View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "In the Basement," why is Nicholas unemployed?

2. Why does Joshua ask his parents about being Jewish in "Middleman"?

3. How does Caleb discover that the mugger in "When in Rome" knows his brother?

4. What does recording the family radio program in "Middleman" make Joshua question?

5. How does Joshua get Mr. Duckworth's attention in "Middleman"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "When in Rome," why does Caleb tell the story about visiting his brother in California?

2. In what was are Caleb and Kevin different in "When in Rome"?

3. After leaving Kevin's apartment in "When in Rome," why does Caleb return?

4. How does John feel when Elsa asks him to no longer accompany her on auditions in "Middleman"?

5. Why do Nicholas and Maria tell the narrator and his wife about Lisa in "In the Basement"?

6. How does John feel at the end of "Middleman"?

7. How does John feel about Judaism in "Middleman"?

8. In "In the Basement," what history does the narrator give about Nicholas and Maria's relationship?

9. What does the narrator's wife, Carla, say to him at the end of "In the Basement"?

10. How does John describe Elsa's acting skills in "Middleman"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the author use mirroring in these stories? Choose at least three stories and analyze how mirroring among the characters and setting is used. What makes this device effective or ineffective?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast two similar characters who act differently. How do their different actions change what seems to make them similar? How does this provide a message about free will in the collection?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze how success is defined in this collection of stories. Compare and contrast the definitions of success in a few of the stories. How are these definitions made? Who ends up being successful and why? What overall theme of success is developed when you consider the collection as a whole?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 837 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample