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

2. Who does Michael meet at the cemetery?

3. Where does Michael travel to in Part 3, Chapter 11?

4. What does Michael do to stay awake, after he and his wife separate?

5. How does Hanna address Michael?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 16, why does Michael say he "finds it unendurable to do nothing"?

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

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

4. What does Michael do with his own writing?

5. What does Michael do upon returning from New York at the end of Chapter 12?

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

7. What does Michael decide to do for work, and why?

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

9. What happens when Michael goes to talk to the judge in Chapter 16?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While Hanna is in prison, Michael resurrects his practice of reading to her. How does this simple act define their relationship? What does it symbolize? How is it connected to Michael's idea that Hanna has advanced from dependence to independence?

Essay Topic 2

What does Hanna's actions on the night of the church bombing say about her character? Or her behavior while being questioned by the judge? Is Hanna a sympathetic character? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

How does Hanna act as a "bully" in the early stages of the relationship she has with Michael? Why does Michael feel he has no choice but to give in to Hanna and her demands? How does this set the tone for Hanna's behavior during her trial?

(see the answer keys)

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