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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 floor of the hotel does Dr. Adler live on?

2. What does Dr. Adler suggest that Wilhelm cut back on?

3. At breakfast, what does Wilhelm take that bothers his father?

4. Who said, "Well, Wilky, here we are under the same roof again, after all these years"?

5. What does Wilhelm drink for breakfast?

Short Essay Questions

1. What strikes Wilhelm most about the dead man?

2. In Chapter 6, Tamkin also shares the story of his wife. What became of her?

3. Describe Wilhelm's appearance.

4. What does Wilhelm notice about Tamkin's clothes in Chapter 5?

5. In Chapter 4, Tamkin tells Wilhelm, "Facts always are sensational. I'll say that a second time. Facts always! are sensational!" What is his purpose for making that statement?

6. What is the significance of the power of attorney document that Wilhelm signs for Tamkin?

7. What particular feature of Tamkin does Wilhelm constantly refer to in Chapter 4? And how do they change throughout the chapter?

8. In the beginning of Chapter 6, Tamkin shares the story of his own father. What is it?

9. How does Tamkin convince Wilhelm to invest in commodities?

10. In Chapter 5, we learn that Wilhelm appeared in as an extra in a movie twenty years ago. What was his role?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Point of view has such a presence in the book that it is almost another character.

Part 1) What point of view does the narrator use in the book? Why is it significant?

Part 2) How does this point of view affect our perception of Wilhelm as a character? Why?

Part 3) How would the book be different if told from a different point of view?

Essay Topic 2

When we meet Wilhelm, he considers himself a complete failure. The motif of failure reappears throughout the book.

Part 1) Why is failure significant in this story? What is Wilhelm's relationship with failure?

Part 2) Sometimes failure is defined by its inverse - success. How does Dr. Adler's success help illuminate not only Wilhelm's failure, but some of his own shortcomings?

Part 3) What does Wilhelm learn from his failure, if anything? Do you think he will apply these lessons to his life beyond the book? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

In this story, many of the characters, particularly Wilhelm, struggle to define themselves. Wilhelm has been called by many different names in his life - Wilky, Wilhelm, Tommy Wilhelm, and Vevel.

Part 1) Identify each name and what it means to Wilhelm.

Part 2) Which one does Wilhelm most identify with and why?

(see the answer keys)

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