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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. According to the mashpia, Jewish souls are like what?
2. What does the housekeeper feed Asher as a bedtime snack?
3. Who takes care of the Lev family during Rivkeh's incapacitating depression?
4. In Chapter 6, Rivkeh brings Asher a significant gift of all the necessary items for which activity?
5. Where does Asher insist on staying while his parents go to Europe?
Short Essay Questions
1. In Chapter 6 as Rivkeh and Asher adjust to life on their own, Rivkeh begins to talk about her grief over Yaakov's death. Which people in her life died prematurely, and how did she feel when that happened?
2. Out of a deep longing to learn to use oil paints, Asher steals several tubes of oil paint and several brushes from Yudel Krinsky's store. What does he do with them? Why do you think he does this?
3. In Chapter 6, Rivkeh takes Asher to the Parkway Museum (also called the Brooklyn Museum). Describe their experience there.
4. What happened to Yudel Krinsky in Russia? Describe some of his life before coming to the United States.
5. The scene when Asher meets Yudel Krinsky for the first time becomes a very important subject for Asher's art. What is Yudel Krinsky doing at the moment of meeting Asher? How does he act?
6. Several times in Chapter 4, Aryeh explains his reasons for wanting to go to Europe to work for the Rebbe. Explain some of those reasons.
7. Describe Asher's mythic ancestor.
8. Whenever Aryeh leaves for a trip, Rivkeh says, "Have a safe journey, Aryeh." In Chapter 5, Asher begins to develop a sensitivity to Rivkeh's underlying emotions. Describe what Rivkeh is feeling when she says goodbye to Aryeh.
9. When talking with Asher about Vienna, what does Yudel Krinsky imply when he quotes, "honor your father and mother"?
10. At the end of Chapter 3, Asher draws a picture of Stalin in his notebook without realizing it. What do you think is happening in Asher's mind when he draws things without being aware of it?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Asher's street becomes a major subject for his art and a major symbol of security for him. If Asher had been forced to move to Europe with his parents, how do you think that move would have affected his art?
Essay Topic 2
Why does Asher have to move to Paris after his community sees the Brooklyn Crucifixions? Do you think Asher was right to leave Brooklyn, or do you think he should have publicly defended his work? Why?
Essay Topic 3
Throughout the novel, Asher describes moments of intimacy and estrangement between his parents, such as the intimacy that his parents gain through working in Europe alone together and the estrangement Rivkeh experiences from Aryeh due to Asher's art. Explain some of these moments. Do you think this makes a statement about what a normal marriage is like, or do you think Aryeh and Rivkeh should have treated each other differently? How do you think this affects Asher's development as a person? How does it affect his art?
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This section contains 1,191 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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