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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why doesn't Margaret want to get a job herself?

2. Why does Wilhelm seek out his father in the beginning of Chapter 7?

3. Who says in Chapter 7: "I was the man beneath; [he] was on my back, and I thought I was on his.

4. How does Wilhelm arrive at the funeral?

5. How much have Wilhelm and Tamkin invested together?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

As Wilhelm suspected, Tamkin ultimately takes off with his money and leaves him to deal with the fallout. Abandonment is a key motif in the story.

Part 1) How does abandonment affect Wilhelm? Why does Tamkin abandon him? Who else abandons Wilhelm?

Part 2) How does Wilhelm's childhood - specifically his relationship with his father - feed his issues of abandonment?

Part 3) Finally, how does abandonment factor into Wilhelm's own family? How does it relate to Margaret? And Wilhelm's sons?

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing is a literary device that is used quite often in the book.

Part 1) What is foreshadowing?

Part 2) Cite 3 examples of foreshadowing and how they're used in the text.

Part 3) Why is foreshadowing important in this particular story? What effect does it have on us as readers?

(see the answer keys)

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