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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. Who wrote Morgan's favorite story, The Birthmark?

2. What is the description of the man who led the attack on the fire station?

3. Who shows up driving a new Model-T in front of The Boy's house?

4. What does Morgan bring back from Europe every year?

5. Who leaves a message that he wants to meet with Coalhouse?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes the theater to shake where Houdini is performing?

2. What does Morgan think about making automobiles available to the masses?

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

4. What happens to Sarah at the rally?

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

6. What becomes of Younger Brother?

7. Why does J. P. Morgan want to meet with Henry Ford?

8. Why does Father return alone to New York, leaving the family in Atlantic City.

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

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

Look up information of Theodore Dreiser and write about his impact on the American novel. It is interesting that Doctorow chooses Dreiser to put in his book. It might be a message about his own feelings about book critics. Dreiser was never recognized in his own time for the quality of his novels. Perhaps his most famous novel, AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY, was made into a movie in the 1950s called A PLACE IN THE SUN. What is your opinion about why Doctorow chose this novelist to include briefly in RAGTIME.

Essay Topic 2

Do some research and write a brief paper on J. Pierpont Morgan. Political cartoons of his time pictured Morgan as being bigger than Uncle Sam. In fact, he did bail out the U.S. economy at one time. There is even an undertone of racism in Morgan in the novel when he cables the D. A. to give Coalhouse his auto and hang him. From your research, explain how Doctorow's use of Morgan in the novel is believable.

Essay Topic 3

Write about Harry Houdini's fixation on finding a way to communicate with his dead mother. The attachment of Houdini to his mother is a documented fact. He also spent the rest of his life looking for someone who could make contact with the dead. In the process he became an authority on fakes and charlatans who claimed special powers to channel the dead. In your paper, explain why you think Doctorow used Houdini as a major character in the book? Point out the societal changes that were happening at that time that Houdini symbolizes.

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