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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. What word from the narrative refers to a child's apron that is worn over a dress?

2. When was Michael Collins assassinated?

3. How would you describe Molly's sense of style in the beginning of the novel?

4. How old is Vivian when she is adopted by the Byrnes?

5. What was the name of the turtle that Molly had as a child before she entered foster care?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the theme of identity illustrated through Vivian's narratives of the past in Section 2?

2. How would you describe Vivian's objectives as she and Molly begin working in the attic in Section 2?

3. What function does Vivian's character play in the story? How is Vivian's character introduced in the beginning of the novel?

4. What happens when the orphan train stops in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to Vivian's narrative in Section 2? Who is adopted at this stop?

5. Describe the process of adoption from the orphan trains. What stands out the most to you about the depictions of these transactions in the novel?

6. What similarities of circumstance are established between the characters of Vivian and Molly in the beginning of the novel?

7. How does the structure of the novel contribute to the theme of the past's influence on the present?

8. What conversation takes place between Vivian and Dutchy on the orphan train in Minneapolis?

9. What is indicated by Molly's response when Vivian asks about Molly's mother in Section 2?

10. What transition occurs when Molly opens the first box in the attic in Section 2? How does the narrative style of the novel change?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Vivian Daly in Orphan Train. What function do you think Vivian plays in the story? Is Vivian a protagonist, antagonist, or catalyst? What effect does Vivian have on Molly? What are the admirable qualities of Vivian’s character? How does Vivian’s character differ in the contemporary timeline (as a 91-year-old-woman) from her depiction as a child in 1929?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the history of the Wabanaki Indians and the Penobscot people and which examines correlations between the prejudices against Native Americans and prejudices against the Irish. How are these prejudices illustrated in Orphan Train? What are some examples of bias that are seen against Molly in the novel? What are biases against Vivian that are presented?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of identity in Orphan Train. What symbolic objects in the story symbolize “self” or “identity” to Vivian and to Molly? How do both Vivian and Molly’s identities change in the course of the narrative? What are some examples of these changes?

(see the answer keys)

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