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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. Where does Asher fly with Jacob Kahn to see a Matisse exhibition?

2. To whom is Jacob Kahn referring when he mentions the "old Spaniard"?

3. What city does Jacob Kahn describe as a "gift"?

4. According to Asher, which group of people first painted nudes?

5. Where do Asher and Jacob Kahn go to view a Van Gogh exhibit?

Short Essay Questions

1. What objects does Asher notice in his parents' bedroom?

2. How does Asher describe the difference between a naked woman and a nude?

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

4. Why does the Rebbe want Asher to study Russian?

5. What does Rivkeh learn from a professor at her university about Jacob Kahn?

6. Describe how Jacob Kahn looks in Chapter 14.

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

8. How does Jacob Kahn respond when Asher asks him if the artist he had just visited was happy?

9. What types of paintings does Jacob Kahn emphasize in his trips with Asher to the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Why?

10. At the end of Chapter 8, where is Aryeh?

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

Throughout the novel, the question arises whether Asher's art is from the Ribbono shel olom, which is a name for God, or from the sitra achra, which is a name for the forces of evil. Asher himself wonders at various times what the source of his art is. Provide some reasons why Asher's art may possibly come from each source, and then explain whether you think Asher's art sides with good or with evil. If you think his art is completely neutral, explain why. Use specific examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the Rebbe's relationship with his people. How would you react if you had to ask a leader for permission to make important decisions? How do the Levs react to the Rebbe's wishes?

(see the answer keys)

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