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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. In "Christmas Gift" what does the storekeeper give the boy?

2. In "Wild Plums" why does the young girl jump off her father's carriage?

3. In "The Killers" where does the first part of the story take place?

4. In "The Country Husband" who listens to Francis tell about the event that has just happened?

5. In "My Dead Brother Comes to America," how did the brother die?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Christmas Gift" why do you suppose the father stopped complaining about the half-sister staying with the family?

2. In "Christmas Gift" what is the gift?

3. When "The Resemblance Between a Violin Case and a Coffin" and "The Country Husband" were first published, how controversial was the subject matter?

4. In "Wild Plums" why did the young girl want to pick plums?

5. In the end of, "That in Aleppo Once..." why is the narrator unhappy?

6. Describe the evidence that the family in "Christmas Gift" are second-class citizens.

7. In "The Second Tree from the Corner," what are Mr. Trexler's bizarre thoughts?

8. In "The Hitch-Hikers" what does the guitar mean to each of the characters?

9. In "That in Aleppo Once..." what does the wife do to hurt her husband?

10. Why do you think the mistress in "The Other Woman" agreed to the affair?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the appearances of religion within "The Key" and "A City of Churches." How is religion portrayed? Is it a positive or negative force within the text?

Essay Topic 2

Explain how the time period plays a role in "My Dead Brother Comes to America" and "The Christmas Gift."

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the elements of sexuality within "The Resemblance Between a Violin Case and a Coffin" and "A Country Husband."

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