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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. Besides students, who uses the Xnet?

2. Who is Dr Eevil?

3. Where do Masha and Marcus hide?

4. Where does Marcus' family go after his father hears the story?

5. What do Ange and Marcus take turns doing at the interview with Barbara?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Marcus ensure that the keys are safe?

2. How is Marcus rescued by the California Highway Patrol?

3. Who catches Marcus before the real gas falls and how does she save him from Charles?

4. Why does Marcus believe he has to try to end the arrests and what is Ange's response?

5. Who is first to sign up for the key sign and what motto does she say to the crowd?

6. What instructions does Dr Eeevil give Marcus?

7. What does Masha say in an email to Marcus?

8. Who helps Marcus when he has gotten away from Masha and does not know where to go that is safe?

9. What happens to break up the concert?

10. How does Marcus realize that the quote Ange said at the party is not spoken by Ange spontaneously the night of the party?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Marcus is trying to get help for his friend, Darryl, who has apparently been stabbed in the melee in the BART station. Instead of helping, however, the people who stop hold the teens at gunpoint, shackle them and place hoods over their heads so that they won't know where they are being taken.

In the days that follow, Marcus is tortured in a way so as to force him to make a confession. Again, Marcus shows his savvy and understanding of the American justice system by asking for what he has been arrested. He also asks to see his lawyer. The lady with whom he deals indicates to him that he has no right to ask for either of these things. The conditions under which Marcus is held are similar to those in a torture camp. He is not given food or drink, not allowed to shower, and is not given contact with any people other than his guards. When his hands are shackled behind his back so long that he urinates on himself, Marcus is made to feel dirty and bad because of his actions when he is taken back to the interrogation room. After he finally signs the papers ensuring him his freedom, Marcus indicates that after both his privacy and dignity were taken from him, he probably would have signed a confession to killing Abraham Lincoln.

1. Discuss where this type of abduction by authorities exist or have occurred in the past. (Research may be required). Use examples from your own life and "Little Brother" to support your reasoning.

2. Do you think the government should be allowed to abduct citizens and torture them without a trial or a lawyer? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and "Little Brother" to support your reasoning.

3. Do you think a situation like the one above could ever occur in this country at the present time? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and "Little Brother" to support your reasoning.

4. What do you think citizens need to do in a country to insure their government does not engage in the above type of actions? Use examples from your own life and "Little Brother" to support your reasoning.

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in "Little Brother". Are these universal symbols? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other symbols that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Doctorow chooses the symbols he does?

2. Choose two important metaphors and trace and analyze their appearance in the novel. Are these universal metaphors? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other metaphors that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Doctorow chooses the metaphors she does?

3. Discuss Doctorow's use (or lack ) of literary device (such as foreshadowing, cliffhangers, deux ex machina, etc.), and how they add or detract from the story. Does Doctorow use too many or too little literary techniques? State which of the five major elements of fiction the literary device is related to (style, character, plot, setting, theme).

Essay Topic 3

Right to privacy has already clashed with these tracking devices as authorities have been required to trade in face recognition cameras for gait recognition cameras as the face recognition cameras were considered unconstitutional. Marcus also notes that even though the teachers aren't allowed to put tracking devices on the students, they can put them on library books, which can be used, indirectly, to track the students. Even on the streets, Marcus and his friends face high tech snitches who take their pictures and threaten to put them on the Internet as proof the students skipped school.

1. Discuss the pros and cons of the authorities being able to track students. Use examples from your own life and 'Little Brother' to support your reasoning.

2. Do you think that technology when it gets to a higher level than it is now will be intrusive on people's lives? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and 'Little Brother' to support your reasoning.

3. Discuss what you think "right to privacy" means and how much citizens of a country should be able to control access to their lives. Use examples from your own life and 'Little Brother' to support your reasoning.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,570 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample