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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 finally really captures Morgan's attention in the world?

2. Where do the cars come from that are used in the attacks?

3. Who arrives in a white town car and shoots a policeman and bombs Municipal Fire Station No. 2?

4. Who is arrested after Coalhouse takes over the museum?

5. What is Father's relationship with Mother after he returns from the Arctic?

Short Essay Questions

1. What suddenly worries Sarah after the Fire House incident?

2. When the police cannot find Coalhouse, what does Father do?

3. What is Sarah's funeral like?

4. How have the fortunes of Tateh and The girl changed?

5. What does Sarah try to do to help Coalhouse?

6. What does Father decide to do to make up for the time he has not spent with The Boy?

7. Describe Morgan's buildings on Madison Avenue in Murray Hill.

8. What is Younger Brother's first act as a revolutionary and outlaw?

9. What happens on Houdini's tour of Europe?

10. What plans do Father and Mother make to get away from the Coalhouse problem?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

On their trip out of New York, Tateh observes a completely different country from what he had known in New York. Doctorow says that for the first time Tateh began to think he might be able to live in America. Use examples of what Tateh and The Girl see on their trip that are so different from anything they had ever seen in New York and explain how those sights began to change Tateh's outlook on America. Then look at Freud's visit to New York and what they force him to go see. Give your opinion as to whether Freud might have had a different opinion of America if he had seen the more rural side of the country.

Essay Topic 2

Coalhouse Walker, Jr., plays Scott Joplin ragtime in the novel. Do some research and write a brief paper about the composer Scott Joplin. Why does Doctorow use the musical genre as the title of his book? To what extent do you think the music of an era defines that era?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and write about the character of Younger Brother in the novel. From the opening description of Younger Brother in the novel, it is predictable what he will become by the end of the story. He is a brilliant young man with limited social skills and limited interests. His interest in pyrotechnics suggests future problems. He is a loner and reticent, even with the sister he loves. Compare Younger Brother with what information you can find on Lee Harvey Oswald.

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