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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. In the beginning of Chapter 12, Aryeh and Rivkeh share a private joke over which of Rivkeh's habits?

2. Which college does Asher plan to attend?

3. What language does the Rebbe encourage Asher to study in college?

4. Where do Asher's parents eat after the show?

5. In which European city does Asher decide to stay for a year or two?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jacob Kahn talk to God?

2. Describe how Jacob Kahn looks in Chapter 14.

3. What does Asher draw for his enemy classmate? Describe the picture.

4. In Chapter 13, Asher's understanding of his mythic ancestor changes. What does Asher realize about him?

5. Why does Jacob Kahn say that Asher is becoming a whore?

6. What does Asher do for the summer while Jacob Kahn campaigns for Kennedy?

7. Describe how Anna Schaeffer looks.

8. What is the illness that forces Jacob Kahn into bed for a few days?

9. Describe the Brooklyn Crucifixions.

10. Describe the person with whom Asher stays in Florence.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Asher eventually comes to realize that his mythic ancestor betrayed the Jewish community just as he also is betraying the community. Explain this relationship. How does this affect the way Asher feels about his mythic ancestor and about his heritage? Does it make Asher less fearful of his mythic ancestor, or does the mythic ancestor always have a grip of terror on Asher's dream life? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Asher's changed eyes cause him to experience the world in a unique way. Describe this way of seeing. How does this way of seeing affect his choices for subjects to draw and paint? How does it shape his perspectives on controversial subjects? Use concrete examples, such as the difference between the way he views a nude and the way Aryeh views a nude.

Essay Topic 3

In this novel, each major character strives to live out his or her purpose in life, especially as it relates to the Jewish community. Which character do you think accomplishes this the most effectively? Which character accomplishes this the least effectively?

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