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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 type of seeds does Nat say that Steve plants around the lawn?

2. What grade was Vinod in when he memorized the Declaration of Independence?

3. What is Nat wearing in Act 2, Chapter 3?

4. Where did Ed go to college?

5. In Act 2, Chapter 3, what nationality of guys does Karen remember that she used to date?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Masha feel when Karen puts Nat to bed?

2. What chaos is there at the House on the Hill in Act 1, Chapter 1?

3. What does Masha consider about what else she has to do as she talks to a patient in Act 2, Chapter 4?

4. Where has Ed traveled since December?

5. What does Senderovsky's car hit as he rounds a curve in Chapter 3?

6. Why does the Actor come running out of his bungalow naked?

7. What are the official and unofficial reasons why Karen has come to visit Senderovsky?

8. What does Masha wonder about the Teva sandals box in the attic?

9. In Act 2, Chapter 2, what does Senderovsky say to the Actor, and why does he surprise himself?

10. In Act 2, Chapter 1, what does Dee think about Ed when they smoke a cigarette near a barn that is rotting away?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Conflicts between characters are often caused by a problem. What are some conflicts that occur in Our Country Friends? Are the conflicts in the book mostly man vs. man, man vs. nature, or man vs. self? Are they internal or external conflicts?

Essay Topic 2

An allusion is a figure of speech that does not directly refer to a person, place, or thing. What are some allusions in Our Country Friends? Why might it be difficult to decipher an allusion just by the context of a passage in a book? How do the allusions SKhteyngart uses help readers’ understanding of characters or concepts?

Essay Topic 3

In Our Country Friends, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

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This section contains 975 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample