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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 speech impediment does Royce have?

2. What did ancient Egyptians advise for the mad?

3. What is Nora’s cultural heritage?

4. What does Saw Young feel a part of?

5. What does Virgil’s father do in America?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Virgil’s father lie to Mrs. Fleck, and what does he say?

2. Explain Sae Young’s life prior to her “accident”?

3. What does Virgil find in the ground, and what does he eventually use it for?

4. Describe Curtis, as he is now, in terms of his priorities.

5. Explain what Curtis does to thwart off the thieves.

6. What is Curtis’ reaction to his tomato plants?

7. Describe what happened to make Sae Young afraid of the world.

8. How does Amir compare the U.S. to India?

9. Explain why Curtis and Lateesha originally broke up.

10. Explain why Virgil becomes angry and ashamed at his father.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Royce does not have a chapter in the novel, and yet he is mentioned by several characters. Who mentions him, and why? What does Royce’s character bring to the novel that enhances the author’s message? What is Royce’s background, and how do people see him originally? How does this change over the course of the novel, and why?

Essay Topic 2

Sam mentions the garden as a paradise, and compares it to Eden. Wendell points out a biblical verse “A child shall lead them.” Sam notes that the garden is a reflection of society. If this is the case, compare and contrast the society depicted by those in the beginning of the novel with the society depicted by those at the end of the novel. Do you think the garden was the only thing responsible for the change? Why or why not? How did Leona, Sam, Nora, Sae Young, and the other characters all help to make the community a better place?

Essay Topic 3

Briefly go through each of the characters in the novel, and explain how the garden helped to improve their lives, circumstances, or outlook on life. Be sure to include details of each story to show an understanding of how the garden affected the characters.

(see the answer keys)

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