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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 are some things Michael does to prepare for Hanna?

2. in Part 2, Chapter 16, what does Michael say to be "unendurable" regarding the trial?

3. What invitation does Michael accept during Christmas vacation?

4. Why does the prison warden tell Michael she is nervous?

5. Who does Michael go to see in the beginning of Part 2, Chapter 16?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe what is said in the letter Michael receives from the prison warden.

2. Of Hanna's possessions, what does the daughter decide to keep, and why?

3. What does Michael dream about on the train from Boston to New York, on the way to visit the daughter from the trial?

4. What does Michael say about his relationships after Gertrud?

5. What happens when Michael speaks to Hanna, right before she is released, at the end of chapter 9?

6. What does Michael decide to do after he and Gertrud separate in Chapter 5?

7. What happens to Michael when he visits the cemetery in Chapter 3?

8. What does the prison warden tell Michael about Hanna and her time in prison?

9. Describe the situation that happens at the restaurant in Chapter 15.

10. How does Hanna respond to Michael's questions about the trial and their relationship?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Part 3, Chapter 10, the reader learns that Hanna commits suicide. How did the author foreshadow her suicide? Compare and contrast the tone of Hanna's correspondence with Michael and her behavior when they meet at the prison. What changed?

Essay Topic 2

In Part 1, Chapter 9, Michael asks "Why does what was beautiful suddenly shatter in hindsight because it concealed dark truths?" What does this foreshadow? Do you agree with Michael that happiness about something cannot be regained if the memory ends in unhappiness? Why or why not? How does this question relate to the novel as a whole?

Essay Topic 3

Hanna and Micheal's relationship is immediate and intense, yet the reader only has Michael's view of their budding romance. From a literary standpoint, why might the author construct their relationship in this way? What are the disadvantages for reader, of not knowing how Hanna truly feels about Michael? The advantages?

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